Soul Anchor
by MatterOfHeart
Summary: After saving Monkey D. Luffy's life Trafalgar Law is waiting for the 'right moment' to move to the New World - Unaware that one evening would make his cold exterior crumble... [Penguin x Law] Please note: We're no native English speakers. So please, forgive us any mistakes. Also we'd be happy if a native speaker would like to beta read. :)
1. Loss of Control

**Chapter I - Loss of Control**

Gasping for breath Shachi stood there, bracing his hands against the grey cold steel wall. His legs were shaking.  
"Clean up before you leave!" Law's rough voice was underscored by the sound of his trousers' zipper, which he was closing.  
Between the wall and himself Shachi looked down on the vestige that he just had left there.  
"Aye, Captain!" He heard the door of the treatment room slam shut.  
The young pirate remained in his posture another moment before he bobbed up, turned around, reached for his boxers, which were lying next to his white jumpsuit on the treatment couch right behind him, to put both back on. He got a few paper towels from the dispenser next to the sink, went back and hunkered down. Slowly. Very slowly since his bottom hurt as it always did afterwards.  
He started wiping away the vestige of what he just had done with his captain. And in doing so his feelings again became a clutter which he was not able to settle. Once more it ached so badly, but nevertheless he still wanted to do it over and over again, was he just glad about getting so much value and attention of the surgeon.

Law leaned his back against the wall close to the door of the treatment room, put his head back and looked up at the lamp above him, which dipped the steel surrounded corridor into cold bright light.  
"Why did I do that again?" The same question that always came to his mind and he was stucked for an answer.  
Sure, actually he knew it. He merely refused to believe it: He just did it, because he did not want to accept the way he liked to do it - the way he liked to do it with HIM.  
"Captain!" Penguin's voice came from the left.  
Law did not look at him. "Yeah?"  
"Everything's fine?" the other one asked when he stood next to him.  
"Yes," he pushed himself away from the wall, put his hands in his pockets and turned to go, "and I already told you thousand and one times not to ask me such things."  
Penguin sighed, "Relax. If your temper is anything to go by you're likely again not going to join us tonight, right?"  
Law knew what he wanted to know, if he would head out with his crew to have some drinks in one of the bars in the town. And as well his opposite knew to judge his mood.  
"You've got it!" So he walked away without saying anything else.  
The left standing one shaked his head: It was simply always the same with him. The leader of the Heart Pirates was a textbook example of a maverick. Well, sometimes it was possible to lure him from behind his books and out of his cabin and enthuse him, although enthuse was exaggerated, to accompany. However this occurred rarely. Despite the fact that nearly one year already had passed by since they left Rivers Mountain behind and entered the Grandline. Whereby Penguin was not dead sure if maybe he was the one to blame for his repeated refusal.  
But this was not what he wanted to think about right now. In contrast to his grumpy captain he wanted to head out and have fun. But not without his best friend, whom he had searched in vain for at least half an hour on the whole ship.  
Right now he wanted to turn around to look for him somewhere else as he heard a clattering sound from the room next to him, briefly looking with a confused look at the door and opening it at last.  
"Aha! Gotcha!" He found Shachi with a half undressed jumpsuit just as he was bending down and picking up one of the silver bowls from the floor, which he obviously had thrown down.  
The red-brown-haired looked up while putting the metal bowl back onto the desk where it had been placed before.  
"What are you doing here?" Penguin looked at him suspiciously.  
"Nothing!" Shachi blushed. "It just fell down when I bumped against the table."  
His friend looked at him sharply and concluded from Shachi's color of skin and his naked torso: "That's not what I was talking about. You did it again with the captain didn't you?"  
While Penguin now started to grin broadly, the younger's eye flushed over the ground shyly grabbing his shirt from the couch and putting it on before he moved back into the rest of his jumpsuit.  
"You're doing it with him too." He uttered crunching his teeth.  
"I haven't said anything against it," laughed the other one. "Are you coming? We want to go drinking."  
Shachi looked up quickly before he sighed and looked back to the floor: "I'd rather stay here."  
"Are you kidding?" Penguin's grin disappeared.  
"You know for sure that I don't like it." Shachi went across the room over to the medicine cabinet and picked the boxes from the floor, which were lying there since he had helped Law to store away the new bought meds.  
He did that often and gladly, out of pure kindness like everyone thought. But above all he wanted to be near his captain, but he kept it for himself. For some time now the doctor came closer as he ever could have dreamed of. Whereby his dreams would have been a little different - softer.  
"Just because you had sex with him? Didn't you always long for a girlfriend?" Penguin did not understand his best friend who had never talked about anything else but women before he had sex with their captain.  
"That doesn't mean anything!" Sometimes Shachi regretted that he told Penguin anyway.  
Although he did so intentionally after the older had noticed his abstraction during the first hours after it happened. Well, that was also how he came to know that Penguin made love to their captain, too. His friend had also tried to keep it a secret, although both shared their secrets all along.  
"No, but since that goes on between you, you started to shut yourself away like he does. But like that you won't ever find a woman." Penguin did not give up.  
Shachi crossed his arms and looked viciously at him: "And when I go with you, I don't get to know anyone. And you know that very well!"  
Yes, Penguin knew that Shachi had nearly no success with women. To be more exact he did not have any. And there he was the only one of the crew. Even their stumpy, a bit chubby cook had more amours as the little youthful Shachi. And everyone who had ever watched the young man as soon as a woman talked to him knew the reason for that.  
Nevertheless Penguin did not want his friend to forgo it, thus he grabbed him at his collar and pulled him along behind himself out of the room. Shachi's fightback was ineffectual as the other one was not only taller but also much more powerful.  
"Penguin, at least I want to take a shower before!" But his friend went on pulling him through the whole submarine and out onto the lower weather deck.  
"You can do it later." He did not release him until the heavy steel door that they had just passed had snap shutted.  
"There you are at last!" It was one of the other crewmates who was standing at the landing pier.  
Penguin looked at the blond man with the bandeau and the cigarette in the corner of his mouth while he steered Shachi towards the gangplank which linked the ship with the bank.  
"Sorry. Thanks for waiting. Shachi dawdled." Nobody but the mentioned one and Penguin knew about the secret they shared.  
Shachi already had capitulated struggling and plodded discontented ashore towards his friends.  
"Next time you can stay back." The man with the headband turned to go.  
A few men of the crew hurried cheerfully ahead.  
"Ban had already been quite peeved." Bepo, first mate and navigator of the Heart Pirates, looked at Penguin as they also began to move to seek a bar.  
The addressed on moved his eye form the tall ice bear in his orange jumpsuit to the mentioned blonde chain smoker in front of him.  
"He doesn't have to make a big deal of it. Also he could have gone on ahead," he growled.  
"Sorry," came from the right side.  
"He didn't mean you!" Two other crewmates, Kanaye and Shou, who walked behind them, shouted at the bear, since as usual he apologised for every little thing.  
Penguin laughed and turned around. However his glance passed the big black haired Kanaye and the a bit shorter but cheeky red haired Shou and fell on Shachi who followed slowly. "Oi, Shachi! Hurry up otherwise I'll give you a kick in your arse!"  
But he curled his lips, expressing his displeasure about the whole situation, and reacted cheeky, as he did often towards his best friend if he did not like something, by sticking out his tongue.  
At last he continued following them nevertheless so they reached a bar unified. Countless voices rang out from the inside, one louder than the other. And this variety of voices should immediately be enriched by those of the Heart Pirates as they accessed the locality and the evening took its course.

As it was always the case this evening became boozy as well and a lot of high-proof ran down the pirate's throats. Penguin, who had already drunk the one or other, was sitting at the bar, like he prefered it the best with his back against it and leaned one arm casual above it, while holding his mug in the other hand. He watched the others. Shachi next to him was hanging forward on his chair, had both arms lying on the counter and sighed in irregular gaps, while he rotated his mug again and again.  
"Man, could you stop moaning? I already don't feel like going to bed with any girl either because your temper gets me down." Penguin was audible stressed out.  
But his friend kept sulking, "You could have left me on the ship."  
The other just sighed. It was not surprising that the smaller one now seemed to be even more depressed than before. Already two women had tried to flirt with him, but everything that had come out his friend's mouth facing those beauties had been an unintelligible, inhibited stutter. And exactly that was his problem: As soon as a woman approached him he blushed and got muddled at talking, if he was able to say anything at all. Most ladies were scared off by this attitude. And if there was sometimes one who called it cute the young man flipped out and put the women to rout due to his outburst of rage. He just hated it to be called cute, although he was smaller than the rest of the crew, except Shou. Yes, Shachi was really awkward when it came to dealing with women.

Penguin was luckier. After all he could not lament and normally at such evenings he ended up with a woman in bed as long as he wanted to. But for some time now his interest in the womankind started to fade away. He couldn't understand it. Indeed he had never shown so much interest in women like Shachi, who since his days of youth got brushed off by them, but he was never loathed by them like he was in the last few weeks. Even today he had already ignored a few female bar visitors as they tried to talk to him.  
Penguin knew that he, compared to his best friend, affected women - and sometimes even men. It had always been like this. Already at an early age he had looked grown-up and manly and had drawn girls' attraction. And today he still was not ashamed of his reflection, which had become even more masculine since he had set sails. If anything could save him from flirting attacks it was his dark blue cap with its yellow peak, the black "Penguin" lettering on white ground and the red toorie on top. It was plug-ugly, but although he liked wearing it as it meant a lot to him. And he had it folded together in his pocket this evening as well, so he could put it on at every time if the clumsy flirtations would get on his top and he wanted to hide himself and his attraction beneath it. But at the moment it was still bearable so he remained sitting there without his hat and observed what the rest of the crew was doing.  
At one of the tables sat Tomo, a short, plump friendly guy, who was good naturedness, as long as you were not sitting at a poker table with him. And this evening a few townspeople did this mistake and were, like a lot before them, hoodwinked by his fair but nasty poker tricks. Without mercy and a cruel grin on his lips he bled one after the other dry and contributed a remarkable portion to the crew's finances. Bepo stood beside him and grinned widely.  
Kanaye, who was quite inquisitive and well-read, sat with younger Shou at the next table and tried loudly to make his friend stop drinking so much, because everyone knew that otherwise the next morning the red-haired would lay in his bed hungover and get into real trouble with their captain. Sometimes Penguin was not sure if Kanaye and Shou, who were totally different like fire and water, hated or liked each other. In any case the two friends entertained always the whole crew with their disagreements. So their latest crewmember Jean Bart, which joined them only a few month ago, sat at their table and could not stop laughing.  
Penguins glance went to the next table and eventually got caught there. Ban sat there, was smoking and laughing too, while he picked up his mug to drink. The brunette, who had put her arms from behind around his neck, and the blonde to his right, who seemed less loathed, enjoyed themselves pretty well too. It was probably Ban's best friend Wakame, who sat also like two other crewmates at the table, with two beauties at his side, told a joke and made the whole group laugh. Despite the laugh Penguin's look became serious. This sight he had seen in another form from time to time and this was when their captain Trafalgar Law was sitting together with them at the table.  
The doctor did not appeal less to women, but he did not allow them to come near that easily like Ban, Wakame or himself, if he had interest. His two friends always seemed to be happy if the captain did not come with them.  
"More girls for us," was Ban's explanation.  
Penguin felt different. In the beginning he had not cared if their captain had taken part in their evening trips or not. But after a while something changed - especially due to an evening a few weeks ago when Law got roped into joining them it had gotten an entirely new meaning toward him if he was of the party.

\- A few weeks ago-

"Oi, Captain, leave some rum for us too!" Dai, the cook of the Heart Pirates, watched as the surgeon let his mug be filled for the countless time.  
Ban, who sat with him at the table and was like always rounded by a few beautiful ladies, laughed. "The Captain is drinking everyone of us under the table! But all the better, then he doesn't get one and I can please all the ladies."  
The one he talked about looked vicious at him, once he took a decent swallow from his mug, but did not say a word.  
"Don't forget, Pen and I are here too," came calmly from Wakame.  
The blonde one looked at Penguin, who for a change was sitting together with Shachi at their table, but until now had drunk just a little and had not shown any big interest at the womanhood. "What's the matter with you? Did you team up with the captain today that you dump everyone too?"  
The addressed one turned his glance, which was directed at Shachi till now as he had his tongue tied in a knot towards a beauty again, to the smoker. "Someone has to take care that no one of you in their drunken minds falls into the harbours basin."  
Actually his concern was directed mainly at his younger friend, who had out of frustration about his futile clumsy flirtation one drink after the other too. He wanted to be halfway sober, when the other wanted to go totally drunk back to the ship.  
"Hey, Sweety?!" The group at the table looked at their captain as yet again this evening a lady approached from behind and put her hands on his shoulders.  
But everything Law did was pushing her hands away and continuing drinking.  
"Pff, if you don't want…" She was obviously sulky and went over to the next table.  
"This is not how you'll reach anything tonight. It's always hard to twist you around one's finger, but that hard?" Ban bow his head while a quite busty woman stroke through his hair.  
"Have you looked what is touching you? I can't even drink enough to think she is pretty. In fact I thought even you had a better taste." Law said this prosaic as always and stayed completely unimpressed of the sudden consternation and the upcoming rage of the ladies around them, who listen to his words.  
"What cheek!" cursed one.  
"Arrogant bugger!" said another one disgusted.  
And while Ban, Penguin and Wakame now tried to cool down the scared mob, that partially intended to charge at the surgeon, the captain continued drinking calmly as he had never said anything. Speaking out what was just going through his head in such situation without considering other persons was just like him.  
Unexpected it was Shachi who suddenly clunk his mug on the table and sprang to his feet so his chair fell over, "That's my lot!"  
With those words he moved apart from the group and stumbled under the confused eyes of his mates towards the exit. Penguin wanted to jump up and escort him. He could imagine that the younger was angry because their captain, who did not have to do anything to get women's attention and whom, if he wanted, did not cause this any problems, was so impolite towards the ladies. Maybe he took it as an unfairness, that he, Shachi, he would fulfill every woman's wish, scared every woman because of his awkward attitude and shyness and never had success due to this, while someone like Law treated them that badly.  
"Let him be!" To Penguin's surprise it was Law, who said this and looked at him sharply out of the corner of his eyes, while Shachi already weaved out the door. "Or are you his nurse?"  
The older one paused and looked down to his captain. "He is drunk. He won't find his way to his bunk alone."  
The other laughed despicable into his mug. "A nanny after all."  
Penguin wanted to reply something as Ban, who was rounded by four instead of two women now, after he had calmed them, stepped in once more.  
"With respect to the ladies he is totally wrong," the blonde one smiled at the ladies, who immediately returned it, before he looked back at Penguin, "as far as it concerned Shachi I agree with him. Let the kid shift for himself. He won't become a man when you let him always cling to your coat-tails."  
The other looked from him to the door. He knew what Ban meant. Shachi was really the nestling of the crew. Even the youngest of them, Shou, was a lot tougher as the auburn haired. After all Penguin knew Shachi since their childhood and knew that he was once even more fearful and reserved as it was by now the case.  
"Really, Pen, leave him alone for now." Even Wakame apparently supported this position. Penguin sighed. He knew his friends were right and that he really should mother Shachi less. But it was not that easy for him as he was always worried about those who meant a lot to him. And his best friend was part of that category of persons above all. However he fell back onto his seat hoping that this was not the wrong decision. He looked back at his captain who let his mug be refilled again.  
"He's drinking unusually much today. I have to agree with him that the women here are no eyecatcher, but outdrinking himself doesn't look like him. Maybe he is just frustrated, because he…" Penguin's grin became wide, still as he thought this through to the end.  
Finally their captain was just a man with needs like every other man. Certainly compared to the rest of the crew he was much more particular in picking the women that he got involved with. And as a while had passed since they had left the last island and the attractivity of the ladies who were present was not good enough for his claims, in Penguin's opinion this could have been the reason for his behaviour, he did not want to refuse that there could be any other deeper and more serious reason though.  
"Why are you grinning so silly?" The grin vanished immediately from Penguin's lips once his captain looked back at him suddenly and hissed these words.  
He was really irritable at this evening.  
"No reason." Both gave of themselves back to their drinks.  
Temporarily it stayed quite, barring the usual noise level in the bar, until again another lady, who had not witnessed his harsh earlier words, came close to the pirate's leader.  
As soon as she stroke lasciviously through his raven hair he stood up jerky and wordless. He left the confused lady behind while he quitted the locality as well, passing Bepo and taking his sword from him.  
Penguin, who meanwhile also turned a lady down but in a more kind way just because he had no interest at the moment due to the woman did not appeal to him and his sorrow about Shachi's mood was in his head, gazed after him and stood up too.  
"I go too. See you later." Ban and the remained crew did not pay attention to him anymore, since they were too busy with their new acquaintances, poker or their conversations and did not realize that he followed after Law.  
"Oi, Captain," he shouted, hardly as he had left the building too, "wait!"  
The addressed one had already a slight edge. And after all what he had drunk he walked not only fast but also very straight.  
"Looks like he takes it very well, even though he has drunk overly much," Penguin reflected while in a fast pace he catched up to Law.  
"What do you want?" An irritated growl was to hear from the other one, hardly when he walked beside him.  
"To the ship? Like you too?" The slightly taller one tilted his head back.  
There was no particular reason why he had followed him and now had catched up to him. He had not seen any reason for himself to stay a little while longer, especially when the worry about Shachi persecuted inside him.  
"I see." Law still did not look at him.  
And therefore they kept walking next to each other without saying anything. While Penguin chiefly thought about Shachi's current condition there were completely different things inside of Law's head.  
"That was such a waste of time. If I had stayed at the ship I could have used the time more sensible. But really, one of them was uglier than the other. I really would have liked having sex tonight. I already left the last island without any just because I had to deal with other things." Only he knew what exactly he meant.  
Actually he had the time right now where they still were on the first half of the Grandline, waiting for the 'right moment' as Law named it himself, to move to the New World. At least this was what everyone could think of. But also it looked like this on the surface the pirate from Northblue, whose bounty increased of fifty millions through several little incidents after they had left the Sabaody Archipel, was anything but aimless on the move and just sailing from island to the next one. But he did not mind if even his own crew thought that they were exactly doing this and only waiting for the 'right moment'. Law sighed.  
Penguin, who did not have a clue how mighty right he was with his assumption regarding Law's bad mood, looked baffled at him from the side. "What's up?"  
"That's got nothing to do with you!" Again a stubborn answer, while he changed his hand with which he was carrying his katana.  
Penguin looked back ahead. "Yes, you're right."  
The night was rather stuffy, which is why the older one fanned himself with his black top.  
"Oh, it's just too hot today." The whole evening already he had not pulled up the top of his jumpsuit and instead just tied the sleeves around his hip, as he gladly prefered to do.  
Even in the black thin sleeveless top it just became nasty, why he grabbed it and pulled it over his head, before he placed it above his shoulder.  
Law observed him unobtrusively while they reached the docks and passed the ships. So unobtrusively that he did not notice himself how intensively he was looking at the naked upper body next to him. His eyes went slowly from Penguin's broad shoulders along his well-toned chest, past his ripped arms down to his well-defined abs. It was not like he never had seen him like this before. But now he could not remove his eyes from this view as there was nothing more handsome in the world.  
Not until a few moments the doctor realized what he was doing and cuff himself in his mind, "What are you doing, Law? Did the women look that shitty, that you have to gaze at your own men? Or did you just drink too much?"  
Anyway he could not prevent watching. It attracted him too much. So much that he did due to his drunken head not notice how he got closer and closer to the edge of the basin next to him  
Penguin realized his gaze and looked at him, "Something's wrong?"  
"No." In a rush Law avoided his glance.  
A little bit too hastily, since at the same moment his right foot missed the solid underground they were walking on and stepped at nothing. He lost his balance. Rather than falling into the dark water, what would have been bad because of his devil powers, he fell just a second later a strong grip at his wrist, pulling him with a sturdy jerk away from the water and against something else.  
Penguin's capacity of reaction had rescued him from the worst. Nevertheless Law's heart was racing due to the shock.  
"Gosh, Captain, I didn't want to go for a swim anymore." Penguin's voice was close - too close.  
And what confused Law even more, as he had recovered from the major fright, was the heartbeat which he could hear beside his own. Suddenly he felt warm too. It did not take much time until he realized in which situation he was.  
Rapidly he pushed himself away from Penguin's chest, loosened the strong grip of the arms, which had surrounded him, turned away, closed his hand tight around his sword and spoke in furios way, "If you need someone to cling on get one of the sluts from the bar!"  
Without giving thanks that the other one has saved his life the moment before, Law continued on his way across the slim jetty, paying attention not to step again beside the ground.  
Penguin gazed confused after him. He did not understand the reaction of his captain, since according to him he had not done anything wrong, but rather saved him from making acquaintance with the water. Well, maybe he came very close to him, when he suddenly had pulled him tight to his body, however why did he react so annoyed again? What had he expected at this moment considering Law's already bad mood?  
"No need." He briefly rolled his eyes, which the other one could not see any more, and followed Law onto the deck of the yellow ship.  
Irritated, because the older was still following him and also due to his own response to what just had happened, the captain of the Heart Pirates looked back over his shoulder angrily.  
"Stop following me. Don't you have anything better to do?" He let out his whole anger at Penguin, even though he had not done anything to justify such a treatment, as Law was aware of.  
He went through the big steel door, which led inside the submarine, on the way to his own cabin. Bad tempered by this whole evening, which was a total failure, he wanted only one thing. Disappearing into his own four walls, slamming the door loudly and launching himself onto his bed. In fact before he had thought about getting a little relief, but he knew that this would not give him true satisfaction, and so he discarded this thought.  
"I'm sorry, but we have the same way as you know." Penguin did not get around it to doubt Law's logical reasoning, but blamed it on the heavy alcohol intake of the younger one, after all he knew his captain very well. And he was truly not stupid - just the contrary.  
Feeling caught the other one bounded his gaze forward again and walked along the corridor silently whereby he could hear Penguin's steps close behind him on the metal floor. How could such a fallacy happen to him? Penguin's bare presence confused him and he was not able to explain himself why. But as he did not want to confess that the other's body attracted him, he blamed his drunkenness for that. In this condition the awareness simply changed, although this did not work with the women at the bar.  
"And maybe it is better if I keep an eye on you and make sure that you'll find the way into your bed and don't stray into harbour's basin yet again." The amused undertone in Penguin's words was clearly distinguishable and also there was a smirk on his lips that betrayed him.  
He had fun seeing that galore alcohol obviously showed its effect at the otherwise so clear-headed doctor as well.  
Law gnashed his teeth. He did not like how his crewmate was just talking to him, as in his opinion he did not need any help and could manage it on his own.  
"Better watch your mouth when talking to your captain, unless you don't want to spend the night in individual parts outside! I don't have any problems finding the way to my room without you."  
Even those sharp words did not scare Penguin off, since he was used to such threat of the younger. And even though in the past Law had walked the talk by using his devil power at his own crew and therefore at him, Penguin, too, he was not intimidated by those words. He just knew the doctor would never ever harm any of his own crew. After all this time, that they had spent together at sea, he thought he could estimate him.  
"Better I'll assure myself of it." His captain could do what he want: Penguin was not easy to shake off.  
Sure, he was still worried about his best friend and wanted to look after his current condition, but he did not consider it bad if he had to wait for him for some more minutes. Probably, that was what Penguin thought, Shachi was already fallen asleep tearfully.  
"Knock yourself out!" Law was sick of continuing this discussion, surrendered and hoped that the other one would leave him alone as soon as they arrived at his cabin. If there was something Penguin was really good at it was being stubborn as he had proven right now.  
He still followed his captain through the corridor, past the rooms to their left and right, and kept watching the younger from behind. Without realizing himself he inspected him from top to bottom, especially how his hips were moving with every step. Again smirking he stroke through his hair and gave himself a warning in his mind that he maybe had drunk too much as well.  
After what felt like an eternity, at least towards Law, he approached the cabin, tear opened the door and accessed, but did not notice that Penguin took the liberty of entering the room as well and closing the door behind him.  
"So, I'm here. Are you satisfied?" Without turning around to the other person, who he assumed was standing by the door, he said these words mockingly and put his katana back in its place in the edge of the room.  
"I'm only satisfied when you're lying in the bed and sleeping." Before, he decided to do, Penguin would not leave the room.  
Who knew where else his captain would go in the current condition he was in as long as he would leave him alone. He wanted to play it safe, even if he behaved like Law's mother.  
"I'm waiting, Captain." Crossing his arms before his chest the older one stood in the middle of the room, in his glance was something serious and this was reflected in his whole figure.  
Suddenly the doctor turned around to him, looked angry at him and nearly shouted towards him, "Are you kidding me? Get out! Play the nurse for Shachi, but not for me!"  
However to his own wonder Law did not approach him and kicked him upright out of the room. Instead his legs carried him to bed, where he sat down and gave Penguin a dirty look. He did not know why he was so merciful with him, even though he did not want him here.  
Penguin resisted his captain's gaze, waiting that he would lay down. But again he did not know what was inside of the other's head while he looked at him now silently and a little stubborn.  
"Maybe you should undress. Or do you like to sleep sitting?" The older still observed him and move some steps towards him, but stopped one meter in front of him.  
And his opposite did not look away either. Again he started inspecting the other one closely: Every single muscle, that was showing at Penguin's body through his hard sparring. Why did it fascinate him that much and why did it attract him so badly? Why did it even arouse him? Was it just the alcohol? He already had seen him at the showers or if it was too hot and Penguin therefore wandered topless on board like most of the them did in this case. And it never generated anything inside of him. But why now? Why did he suddenly feel hot and cold at the same time when looking at him? It had to be the alcohol that controlled his feelings and thoughts - his thoughts which were drifting closer and closer in one direction.  
Since Law only stared instead of starting to undress himself, Penguin came even closer. "Are you thinking how you undress yourself?"  
In his eyes it seemed as if his captain could not handle the easiest things. He had to admit that he was wrong about this one point, when Law dumbly, but still with a shady look on his face grabbed the hem of his pullover, pulled it over his head and let it fall to the floor. The older one looked at the garment, wondered slightly that Law in this condition did not seem to care about his beloved order in the room. And yet he did not realize how the other's view lingered back again on him and this time it was fixed to his crotch.  
Law looked at the white fabric of the jumpsuit behind which something was showing. Since he already had seen Penguin like the rest of the crew naked when they had met at the showers, he knew that he was well hung.  
"I wonder how big it can be?" the doctor asked himself not realizing that something was stirring in his own jeans, "And how would it feel to have it inside?"  
He continued starring. The alcohol affected his thoughts more and more, which caused an increasing strong desire - a desire for sex with the man in front of him.  
Suddenly Law had to realize, that the alcohol had not even his thoughts in a tight grip, but also started to control his big mouth, because he uttered the following, "Did you ever have sex with a man?"  
Penguin's confident expression made way for an unbelieving one, as he thought he had misheard. He looked back confused from the sweater into Law's face.


	2. His Order

**Chapter II - His Order**

For a moment Penguin thought he had misheard. He looked into Law's face to be confirmed that his ears had played a prank on him, what he saw was anything he had expected though. Despite his current condition his counterpart seemed totally calm and his steel grey eyes glanced pointedly at him.  
It did not happen all day that he got asked such an intimate question. And out of all people it had to be his captain, who had have got a drop too much this evening.  
On the other hand Penguin had nothing to conceal, after all he assumed that Law would not remember this conversation the next morning. Thus he stayed quiet and relaxed after he had handled the first surprise.  
"Yes, I already had sex with men," he answered without turning red.  
He was not ashamed to confess this upfront even if his captain would have been sober, it had not changed his answer. What should he hide? To him it was not a taboo to admit that he liked women as well as men. You only live once was his motto and therefore he lived his life to the fullest. Sure he did not shout it from the rooftops, but nevertheless some of the other crewmates knew it, since they witnessed it when he had flirted with a man in a bar - although that was an exception. But obviously his captain ignored this completely. Or he was just too drunk to remember it.  
The surgeon seemed to be stunned for a second, he had not expected such an answer, but composed himself again quickly and looked at him with an overbearing grin, "Let me guess. With Shachi, right?"  
Both men had always been inseparable, although Law had never thought that they maintained such a relationship with each other. About such things he had never really bothered. Usually he was not interested how and with whom his crew made out, since they all some more than the others wanted to feel physical need. But now his interest had been awakened, he wanted to know more about it, above all he wondered how sex with a man would be. So far in his life he had already slept with a lot different women, but lately it did not give him the satisfaction he longed for. Why it was like that even he could not explain it.  
"Including Shachi, yes." Penguin remembered very well how it has come to that he made it with his best friend.  
His feelings for the younger had just amicable character, it had never been more. But anyhow he  
had laid down with him when the other had felt bad because of the received checks with women. Since this happened it did not stick to it. He knew for sure that he could not help his friend due to doing this but he did it anyway. Probably of self interest when they were on sea for a longer time.  
"I knew it. And you're the active or the passive one?" Law lost again control of his mouth and he wanted to knew this one thing before he would come to a final decision. He only could imagine one constellation between these two, nevertheless he wanted to hear the answer directly from his opposite.  
Doubtful and with a lifted eyebrow Penguin watch down on his captain: Was this an interrogation? Or was the younger just too drunk that he asked him such questions? For the doctor's benefits he blamed his state of intoxication for that as he did not knew what was going on inside the other one. He did not have to answer, but his pride could not leave this question open.  
"What are you thinking of me? Of course active," the other one countered, getting a bit louder than he had intended and began a counter question. "Why are you so interested in it, Captain?"  
Penguin should wait for an answer in vain, because Law made no move to response to him. He was too busy with his own thoughts. A boost of excitement went through his whole body, gave him a nice shiver and added to the already existing bulge in his pants. Why did it excite him so much to hear that the other one took over the active part while having sex? Did he crave as much for sex, which would satisfy him completely, that he was willing to be fucked by one of his subordinates? The urge to try it out just for once became even stronger and he could not resist it any more.  
He had made his decision. And he was wise to the fact that he could get out of this situation with his devil's powers at anytime. Otherwise he would never became addicted to the crazy idea that was in his mind.  
Law took of his shoes and socks before he let himself fell down facing backwards on the mattress and looked at the older with an evil smirk on his lips.  
"In that case do it to me now! I want to know how it feels!" He issued a clear command to him.  
But instead of following his order a short laugh escaped through Penguin's lips. Now he knew for sure that his opposite did not have his head on straight. He was aware that he should not trade on this situation, but he reacted to this game nevertheless.  
"That's surely not what you want. Your ass would hurt afterwards," he gave him a well-meant piece of advice.  
What he said was one thing, what he felt the other. His own body betrayed him as he caught himself looking all over his captain. First his eyes got caught by his captain's face. The mixture of desire and curiosity in his glance captured his imagination and gave him an ice-cold shiver, which slid down his back. His eyes went further down over Law's uncovered neck, that invited him downright to indecently assault it with his lips, down to his naked, slim, but ripped torso. Writhed he for him or played his brain a trick on him? At least he thought that it was like this because the sight of his half-naked captain started to arouse him. Momentarily he took a glance at the others crotch and noticed the already conspicuous bulge that loomed at the light blue jeans.  
As he discerned that it was not only the eyewash of a drunk person but that he was really serious about this his lips formed a slight grin. Did his sight make Law that hot?  
The pure thought of teasing the other and being responsible for his condition was enough, so that something began to stir inside of Penguin's own trousers.  
"Don't laugh!" Law flashed angrily at him, but at the same time he started to grin again, "Then you have to be careful and shouldn't hurt me. If you refuse I see it as mutiny."  
Unresistant he still glanced at the older one, but did not notice that something happened with him too.  
Penguin knew that Law what not that sort of captain who did not suffer objections and therefore he was just joking when speaking of mutiny, but nevertheless he was unsettled. Indeed he was in the mood for sex and felt this invitation was tempting, but after all it was his captain, the man, whom he felt subordinated and whose orders he usually followed faithfully, who had uttered this invitation. And to him it appeared reprehensible to get so intimate with him - especially when himself was the active part of it. However in Law's last sentence had made it indirectly clear that it concerned the captain's order. And these assignments he followed ordinarily.  
"Besides he is boozy. Probably he won't remember anything tomorrow. And if he does, well than I'm out of luck if he beheads me. It's just too alluring seeing him lying there," he deliberated.  
For this reason the standing one gave in to his and his captain's desire, although he yet feared he would regret it bitterly the next day. Because at the latest when Law would remember he would make him accountable for it. Penguin was sure about that. But his own libido was too overwhelming towards his prudence, which he threw overboard summarily.  
"Mutiny, well," he chuckled, "if that's the captain's order I've no other choice but to follow it."  
"Well spotted," Law said.  
He sat up and slid back, so now he laid with his entire body on the bed. Nevertheless he supported himself again on his forearms and looked up to Penguin, who still stood at the same spot and had not moved even a centimeter in the direction of the bed.  
"Are you waiting for a written invitation?" The impatience ringed out of Law's voice.  
Yet in his head a question made itself at home once more: Why did he suddenly want to have sex with his counterpart?  
Anyway it was immediately pushed aside as Penguin pulled out of his boots along with his socks, letting them fall together with his top thoughtlessly beside the bed and headed towards him: "No."  
He kneed himself down one leg next to Law, the other one between his legs and bent himself over him so that the other laid back down completely and Penguin braced his hands next to his head.  
"Tomorrow he will cut me up to pieces. But I just can't resist this temptation right now," he considered when he looked again into Law's eyes.  
His opposite looked straight back as he already realized Penguin's upper thigh pressing against his crotch. He swallowed imperceptibly although this position was not new to him but anyhow  
it was. At last it was a man who kneed directly over him and touched his most intimate site. Was it really such a good idea to become addicted to his curiosity and excitement? But making a retreat now? No, this was no option - not for him.  
Penguin's glance went from Law's eyes to his lips, whereby one thing crossed his mind, "No, I won't kiss him. Even if it's appealing. After all he is and will remain my captain. Besides else he dismembers me straight."  
His eyes slid further down, passing the neat trimmed goatee again to his neck to which he now went down with his head and touched it with his lips. Law's hands adhered the sheets for a short moment. Although he was still in a jag, tension came up inside him. Usually he was not nervous when he had sex for the first time - and because of his bustling life as a pirate mostly the only time - with a person. But now he was. He felt Penguin's mouth going down slowly and appreciatively and leaving a trace of kisses.  
Uncontrolled a gasp escaped his own lips as the older one reached his chest and gave his attention to his left nipple. Carefully he rounded it with his tongue so it got hard.  
Penguin did not miss Law's sound, which showed him that he liked it. "He is sensitive here."  
With this knowledge in mind he treated this place for some further moments before he went of to the other side and repeated the game. Again that rarely noticeable, but definitely sensual sound of the other one. Penguin smirked slightly: He did not assume educing this that quick from him.  
Actually his treatment aroused Law vehemently. He knew that he was very sensitive at this body site. As well the further approach of the other let something more happen between his legs. Because little after his second nipple stuck out Penguin's mouth went back to the middle of his chest and from there on further down over his abs to his belly button. Law closed his eyes when he plunged his tongue inside and stayed, besides the breathing movement of his thorax, calm and motionless. Indeed for a moment he thought of touching Penguin as well but in the end his hands remained where they were.  
"After all he has more experience when it comes to this. And he can do the whole work, if I already hold my butt to him." At the last thought his guts tightened briefly: He must not think more about it, if he did not want to beat a in his eyes coward retreat.  
Penguin was not one bit surprised by the stiffness of his opposite. He had witnessed it both with Shachi and with other men, when they had slept with him for the first time. And even with women most of the time it was the same, if they were inexperienced. In fact he did not mind the touch of the surgeon's slender, lean hands, which laid inactive on the mattress, but he would not demand this now.  
After all he could imagine very well that the doctor by now was not as calm as he showed on the surface. He just hoped this would not make him rethink everything, since he himself was absolutely fond of what they did or more what they wanted to do. And this he felt clearly in his own pants, which got gradually too tight. Generally he was not keen to hold on longer with this foreplay, which was one sided anyway. Much more he wanted to take off their remaining clothes and to plunge himself inside the other. But he did not know, if Law appreciated these tenderness, especially if he had to loosen his tension.  
Yet as if he could read his thoughts he looked down to him and hissed suddenly: "You don't have to fondle and lick me forever. I am as hard as I can get anyway and no woman, who maybe needs that, in case you haven't recognized it. You can save up your foreplay."  
Penguin raised his head and looked up at him. Obviously all Law really wanted was the actual sex. Usually it was very unlike him to go like a bull at a gate, he wanted to though. But if his counterpart opened the gate like this and he himself was just interested in his own sexual satisfaction, why linger unnecessarily long? There was no reason.  
Law resembled it. He also did take less interest in interchange of undue endearment, although it aroused him. He just wanted to know how it was to fulfill the coitus with a man and to be passive at this. And he wanted an orgasm. That was all. He was not eager to caress or similar emotional attention. His interest was of pure bodily nature and insomuch matured that you did not have to prompt them anymore. Apparently Penguin got it now as well because now he sat up again and looked down on him.  
"As you wish." But Law stopped him again when he wanted to grab at his belt.  
"Before you undress me," he reacted on Penguin's look of inquiry, "it's your turn."  
The other shrugged, "Whatever."  
He did not hesitate to strip himself first. There was nothing that the younger one had not seen before, abstained from his erection. And he was not ashamed of it either so he got up from the bed without any indecision and untied the knot of the jumpsuit's sleeves around his hips. The other lifted his upper body again and watched him. Law tried to ignore the tension which increased with every stroke Penguin did. He kept his eyes frozen to the lower body of the other one when he opened his jumpsuit completely, moved it down and his grey boxers came out. The fabric bulged more than distinctly outwards.  
While Penguin grasped at the waistband of his last garment as well, the other's heart started to beat faster. Law was more than unsure about what they were doing here. But still his ego did not allow to cop out. Therefore he continued staring, waiting what he would see next. Penguin did not miss that really tensed glance.  
A small smile darted over his lip when he looked down on Law like this, "Let's see, if he will duck out yet again."  
He slipped off the elastic fabric without letting his eyes of his captain. And this is how he noticed him lightly swallowing when his manliness now hold out to him. Penguin could only suppose what was inside the other's head due to this sight. Probably now Law was a little awed.  
"Well? Shall I put it back on?" The older could not stop himself from asking this with a cheeky undercurrent and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
Law needed a moment. Since as Penguin guessed absolutely right this sight shook his own self-confidence intensely. It was not that he had to hide himself concerning his own equipping, but he was not able to keep up with his counterpart.  
"Oh shit! And I want to have this inside me?" flashed through his mind while he remained staring motionless at the other's penis.  
But Law would not have been himself if he had failed at covering up his feelings and thoughts and to seem to be unconcerned and relaxed on the surface.  
"Tzz," he sounded plain and looked in his face, "don't think that you could scare me."  
"I would never think that." Bus this was exactly what Penguin thought.  
And he knew that Law was just glossing over his inner worries like he used to do with all his emotions.  
"Then go on!" Again an order of his captain which the older one instantly followed.  
"Unbelievable how he is too proud to admit that he is unsure if this is really what he wants to do," went through Penguin's mind while he got back into his previous position above Law, "but this is just like him."  
Now he grasped at his belt buckle while Law let himself fall back again and staring at the ceiling. Probably he did not want to witness what they were going on to do, although it was paradox as he could still feel it. But the other did not let it confuse him, opened his jeans and clutched at his waistband and the black boxers beneath it at the same time. He did not want to waste any more time now, especially since he knew he still would have to do some more groundwork until he could put his real purpose into practice.  
He looked at Law temporizing, "Butt up!"  
He turned his eyes back on him with a cloudy glance, "Don't order me around! Got it?"  
Penguin sighed, "Got it. Could you please lift your bottom, Captain?"  
Although this sounded completely stupid in his ears, at least it led to what the older wanted. Law lifted, still with a grumpy expression on his face though, his pelves. Outright his opposite removed both trousers from his hips and revealed his erection. While he pulled it completely off his legs and threw it also down on the floor, the doctor focused again on the ceiling. He felt his drunkenness like never before. It felt all so unreal. But nevertheless he perceived everything clearly, but he was still not sure in what way his current condition influenced him to do this. However he was too muzzy to bother himself about it. Terrified he wide opened his eyes when he felt a hand at the same moment, which was wandering from his glans over his hard shaft. He swallowed again. He was not aware that he just let his tension show and Penguin noticed it more than he already did before.  
By experience Penguin knew, if Law would cramp like this any longer, it would become really painful for him. And he was very conscious that relaxing was always difficult for the passive part the first time. He realized that now and then, although he always had been careful. Also Shachi had had quite problems at relaxing during their first fling and down to the present day Penguin was sure that he finally just had swallowed the pain. And he did not want Law to do the same, the more so as he was apt to be like this even more than his best friend. Alternatively he would quarter him, if it would hurt him. Penguin sighed mentally and for a moment he regretted that he got himself into this whole thing: This could backfire towards him. But to surrender was no option either, as in that case Law would be less delighted as well since they already went that far. Especially himself still absolutely felt like sleeping with him.  
"Why did I run after him?" Cursing himself and his own lust inwardly he continued stroking the younger's erected penis.  
"I told you to stop these crappy groping, didn't I?" Although Law had to confess to himself that he liked those contingencies, he growled at the other.  
Penguin looked into his face, "It won't work if you don't relax. And this isn't what you're doing at all."  
The doctor jerked inside: So his counterpart noticed his unease and tense posture.  
"I'm totally relaxed. So go for it!" His lied words made the other just sigh again.  
Even if Penguin knew Law did not tell the truth, he did what he ordered and with his knee he splayed apart his legs wide so he could place himself entirely between them. Law looked at him without any emotions. But inside him everything followed in quick succession right that moment. Lying that straddle-legged in front of him felt more than strange. And even his jag could change anything about this feeling.  
"Anyway I should prepare your butt. Otherwise you won't be able to sit any more tomorrow." Penguin looked back humorless.  
Law knew what he meant, but deemed it to be unnecessary at the moment.  
"Bullshit!" He continued snarling at him, "You can drop it all! Or do think I'm such a sissy?"  
A further moan of the other, "No, Captain. I don't."  
"Well. Go ahead!" The surgeon remained pigheaded.  
Inwards Penguin despaired. Drunken his captain was even more stubborn than usual. Indeed he knew that Law was not the man who used to kill anyone without hesitation - actually the doctor even always avoid killing - but now he was not sure if it would remain like this any longer after this incident.  
"He will kill me tomorrow. I'm quite sure. But if I don't do what he wants, then he'll kill me right now. So I prefer at least having sex and die afterwards," went through his head before he seriously looked at Law, "Tuck your legs!"  
The addressed one hissed again back, "You shall not order me around!"  
Penguin rolled his eyes and repeated it again: "Please, tuck your legs."  
"Gosh, how can screwing be that complicated?" the other grumbled, but now he did what Penguin told him.  
He smirked: "We can do it doggy style as well. But I guess you want that still less."  
"Dare you!" urged his opposite, who really was not interested in presenting himself even more submissive as already this posture seemed so derogatory to him.  
The older bent himself over him and braced his hands next to his head.  
Again he looked seriously into the eyes of the man beneath him, "You are sure about doing this? It WILL hurt without any…"  
But Law cut him short, "Yes! So hurry up!"  
"I already know that you'll kill me at least tomorrow." Penguin grasped at his own penis and channeled it towards Law's anus.  
He looked surprised: Obviously the other was really afraid that he, Law, would make him suffer for this here the next day. However the doctor had not thought of anything like that any second before.  
"But well, I'm still his captain. Unsurprisingly," he thought, before he grinned evilly, "Well, then better enjoy your last time."  
Again a sighing, "Even this will become difficult."  
How should he enjoy it if he was going to hurt his captain the next moment and besides he already kept his own demise in mind, although he still thought that Law would not kill him for real. Nevertheless now he pressed his tip against Law's hole. Whose grin disappeared immediately. His countenance now braced tautly like the rest of his body. Penguin did not miss this, he pushed his pelvis further forward though, whereby his glans penetrated the sphincter completely. He put his second hand back next to Law and looked in his face. It convulsed suddenly and again Law clung his fingers into the sheet. The younger had not imagine it being that horrible.  
"Shit, it hurts that much. And he isn't yet entire inside me." But he left it unsaid and pursed his lips to not utter any peep.  
Anyhow Penguin could read his face like a book. But since his captain did not want to heed him and wanted to go through with it quickly the pain was the consequence of this. Whatever his captain just ordered him and that he should do it no ifs no buts, it put him off to go on if he saw his face contorted with pain.  
"I can't continue like this," he said calmly.  
Law looked tenaciously up to him, "It's not that sore."  
"Captain…" He wanted to bring him to his sense, but they already missed that boat, otherwise they would not had have started this at all.  
"Go on!" the younger snapped again at him.  
He would not show that weakness in front of him. He could stand such a little pain, he did not suspect that it would not remain like this though. But this became clear to him the painful way when Penguin again followed his command and pushed himself deeper into him. But this time he did not make the mistake of showing it outwards. Instead he looked at him frozen and kept his face straight. But actually he wanted to scream, as the stretching and rubbing hurt so much. And along with it came that strange and weird feeling of being penetrated.  
Even if he was that motionless the other knew he was in pain and looked worried down at him. Indeed he liked the hot tightness, which surrounded his dick now, but considering the fact that he probably caused his opposite awful pain he could not feel anything exciting about it. He paused for a short moment, before he plunged completely inside him.  
In doing so a hissing sound of pain leaked from Law's lips and he shut his eyes tightly, "Oh fuck!"  
The gaze of the older one went from concern to despair: "Can you please tell me how you want to keep this up further? This is bullshit and neither you nor me have fun at this."  
Law opened one eye and for the first time he noticed the expression of the other.  
Penguin really cared about his well being. But why did that surprise him? All along he had been somebody, who worried about everyone and everything. And the surgeon had to realize that he was right.  
Now he was the one who sighed: "Give me a moment. I try to relax somehow."  
Relaxing, that was never one of Law's biggest strengths. On the contrary. In his head permanently went on so much that he could not even think about relaxing. Now how should he manage it? And then even in such a situation? He needed to come up with an idea fast, if he did not want Penguin to stop. And that this would be the case the younger could imagine. Even if his counterpart feared the possible consequences, after such a long time he knew him very well to know that he was willing to take them than to continue it like this.  
Law shut his eye breathed deeply in and out. Penguin watched him knowing that it was not easy for him to loosen his tension. Everyone on the ship already knew that their captain could do a lot, but surely not to turn himself off. Often he had so much going on inside his head that he accidentally made a night of it and brooded about something or was lost in his medical books.  
Since he noticed that he really tried it and it were not just empty words, the older one remained in his position. It was difficult to stay calm thanks to his desire he wanted nothing more than to move his hips forward so he could plunge deeply inside Law again. This tightness made him mad. But he did not let himself being controlled by his needs further. After all his brain was not switched off yet.  
Silently Penguin watched his captain waiting to get a sign from him.  
"Keep going," came the familiar order from Law.  
However this time it sounded less strict and therefore more calmer. Penguin was not sure if he really was at ease. At least he did not notice anything of it around his cock, which was still enclosed by Law's muscle.  
According to that he reacted: "Are you sure?"  
"Yes." Law opened his eyes and looked up to him. "It's okay."  
"If you think so." Either he carried out to pretend as if it was nothing or the high numbed his pain. Other than this Penguin had no other explanation how his opposite wanted to keep this on further.  
Slowly he withdrew his dick from the tightness, which had surrounded it all the time. When only his tip was left inside he stopped in his movement. Briefly his glance went back to the face of his captain, who had shut his eyes again and still tried to breath quietly.  
"He really takes great pains to relax himself," Penguin pinpointed this with a grin on his lips.  
What he could not see from his position were Law's hands, which still clawed to the fabric of the sheets. Even if they were not as cramped as before there was still a bit tension in the posture of his fingers.  
Carefully Penguin pushed his hips forward once more entering him for the second time it seemed easier he had to spend less strength penetrating him. Nevertheless Law's anus was still tight, this turned him on and it kindled his lust anew though. For Penguin it already felt incredible good. He hoped that the other one would enjoy this feeling soon too. And so that this happened he gave his best to do his thrusts slowly and directly.  
First Law felt the pain quite clearly, but with each further thrust it became less. Maybe he just got used to it and noticed it less. At least it did not felt as if someone would tear him from the inside anymore.  
A first gasp escaped his lips and his thoughts went head over heels.  
"Even if it still hurts, still it kinda feels really good," after a while he noticed to his own surprise, "I want more and I don't know why it's like that."  
The returning lust suddenly covered the pain and clouded his senses, as long as they were not already thanks to the alcohol. Each single thrust, which Penguin made, triggered something inside him what he did not know yet. Was this what he had longed for all these weeks? Could he finally give him this satisfaction? At the very least it seemed that way for Law.  
"Keep going… more…," gasping a few scraps of conversation suddenly left Law's mouth.  
A bit surprised Penguin glanced down at him: Did he just say it like that and covered up the pain further or was he really in the beginning of ecstasis? He could not say it for sure, yet he thought he had seen something else than pain in the face of his captain. At the same moment Law opened his eyes. And Penguin looked into steel grey eyes, which confirmed his words within their expression. He knew this determined challenging view of his leader, but he had not expected to see it in this moment.  
A little bit mocking and with a grin on his lips the older answered: "Aye, Captain!"  
Until now Penguin had badly restrained himself to not cause his captain any further pain. Thanks to his words and his glance this purpose broke down like a house of cards. And the urge to move his hips faster to plunge hard inside him, until the younger one was lying out of lust sweaty and moaning under him and could only scream his name, grow with each passing second. Alone this imagination aroused him again even though he should know it better than this that his name in any kind would never leave the doctor's lips.  
Once more Penguin deprived his cock from this tightness, entered him faster and with more harshness. A clearly heard gasp escaped his slightly opened lips as he plunged deeply inside him. He thrust again and again and felt the friction on his dick. While he still braced himself with his hands not to build up any more closeness to their bodies, he enjoyed this sweet feeling, which grew with each thrust stronger and more intense.  
With each invade Law felt the pain fade away until it became so secondary that he was no longer aware of it. His fingers clawed back into the white sheet, but this time the reason for it was another one - his growing excitement, which seemed to overpower him.  
"Why haven't I tried this out before?," it crossed the surgeon's mind.  
He felt each of Penguin's movements, heard how his hips bumped against his butt and also from his own glans penis leaked the first precursor of lust.  
"Oh, fuck," again his current favorite word escaped from his lips, but this time in form of a loud moan, since just now Penguin had hit his prostate and gave him an indescribable feeling, "do that again!"  
Everything inside him wanted to feel it again, it pushed him further in the direction to his sexual release, which he devoutly wished to come but the way to it never pleased him so much as it did now. Had he ever enjoyed this tingling sensation while having sex? He did not know. Now he did for sure. That of all the things it was one member of his crew, whom he owed this feeling of increasing lust and satisfaction, could not be change any longer. At this moment he did not care at all. The younger could not think straight.  
"Here?," the older one thrust back again anxious to hit the same spot again.  
"Yes!" Law's moan confirmed his success.  
Penguin had never thought in his wildest dreams he would ever see his captain so detached and out of excitement struggling beneath him. This picture how he laid there: The eyes tightly closed, the mouth slightly opened and a subdued red on his cheeks, while he breathed hasty and heavy. It was plain ineffably erotic. Each little detail the older tried to memorize, after all it was the first and instantly the last time that he came to know this enjoyment.  
"Don't stop!" While gasping he ordered him harshly.  
As if he would do that now.  
The other smiled teasingly: "Sure not."  
He got started just now increased his speed another time and thrust again and again. And yet he did not hit Law's prostate every time, but it was enough that the younger squirmed in the midst of moaning and his thorax went up and down steadily.  
The doctor released the grip of his right hand from around the fabric of the sheets, pulled his arm up high so that it laid bent beside his head and he clawed his fingers tightly to the pillow.  
"Yes!" Law became even louder, actually he forgot that he could be heard.  
He clearly felt the tingling in his lumbar region becoming stronger whenever Penguin thrust his hard manhood inside him. It did not need long til a wave of full satisfaction came over him he witnessed his climax with a deep moan and his cum spread over his stomach. That his rectal as well contracted unknowingly and now even sent Penguin over the edge of the cliff, Law did not notice this.  
Also with a moan the older one came moved his hips in the progress of it a few times back and forth while he spilled his cum inside the other. Penguin had to pull himself together so he did not alight on his captain with his whole weight. Finally he braced himself only on his hands not coming any closer to him. Since it became too exhausting to keep this posture the older withdrew from the other one and let himself fall beside him on the wide bed. Even the other was subconsciously happy that he could drop and stretch his legs.  
Both men tried to get their breath under control. Law was against his will the first one, who managed it. Still caught by ecstasis he just wanted to utter how much he had liked it as his eyes frozen widely opened. He felt it getting moist on his butt. With a jerk he sat up making it only more unpleasant, because of his drunkenness and the relaxation after the climax he was not capable to control his closing muscle how it normally should have been the case.  
"What the hell?" In panic and the next moment disgusted he looked between his legs on the mattress.  
Penguin, who laid there with his eyes closed, opened a lid and looked at him. He realized the situation.  
"What? It's normal that it leaks if you don't hold it closed and even sit up," was his calm response.  
"Ugh!" The doctor reached for the box with paper tissues on the nightstand, which he only needed if he touched himself. "That feels so disgusting."  
"Maybe." The other could not judge it - he did not even want to.  
Law felt no disgust against the foreign sperm itself and even the stains on the bed did not matter for him. Just this feeling how it run out of him he did not like, for that reason he hastily tried to get his muscle under control and getting himself dry with the tissues.  
His view became sinister. In his eyes this all was Penguin's blame that his stimulated ecstasis was totally gone by now. He turned his head to him and just realized how relaxed the older one laid beside him - in HIS bed.  
"Say, are you kidding me? Leave instead of giving me bad advice!" There it was again: The toxic beast.  
Penguin escaped a sigh once more while he sat up. He had neither a wish nor a reason to have a showdown with the bad behavior of his drunken captain.  
"I'm out." He stood up went around the bed collecting his boxers from the other side on the ground and pulled them on.  
While he grabbed his jumpsuit he looked back at Law, who watched him and whose glance was still between pissed off and disgusted.  
"What?" He hissed still pressing a tissue against his anus.  
"Nothing." Penguin pulled the upper part of his jumpsuit up and took his remaining clothes in one of his hands.  
He already noticed that he liked the Law from just now, who had squirmed lustfully underneath him, much more as the person, who just kicked him out. Actually his captain was not like that. Sure he did not throw parties inside his chambers and invited everyone over, but so extremely biting he was in his sober state rather rarely - really rarely. Then again he, Penguin, owed it only to the alcohol that he had witnessed the surgeon in such ecstasis. Like that probably no one had ever seen him. And this memory he would not forget so fast - assuming he would survive the next day once Law realized what they had done. Now at this moment Penguin was sure he was too drunk to actually class this as reality.  
"Sleep well," he said calmly before he went to the door.  
His captain looked after him until he left the room and closed the door behind himself without once turning back.  
Law let himself fall back: Meanwhile he got rid of the wetness between his legs. All other traces, which they had left behind, did not matter to him. He was tired. This just now had him played out, after all his tipsy condition heavily bore down on him. Exhausted he shut his eyes without thinking any further about today's events. And so he laid there putting his feet up and falling asleep, still holding tightly to one of the paper tissues in his hand while he had thrown all the other crumpled up carelessly to the floor.


	3. Restless Mind

**Chapter III - Restless Mind**

For a moment Penguin stayed in front of the cabin of his captain. He looked to the right side along the empty corridor up to the corner, which around the left it led to more cabins and to the galley as well as outside. Earlier he had came together with Law from there.  
And probably even now they were the only ones on board. Except of Kanaye, who was on guard duty this evening and was therefore on his way around the ship now, if he had not snatched one of Law's medical books after all and was reading it right now. The others were certainly on the road. Otherwise it had not been that quiet, since drunken pirates were rarely soft-footed going in their cabins. And at least probably Ban had laid down together with not less than one woman. Penguin had to grin: Right now he envied him not a bit. Instead he turned to the left where the grey steel walls continued the corridor the same as on the other side too, only mirror-inverted, so you could get from both sides to the lower weather deck. He glanced briefly to the door beside him: Would Law remember what happened the next day? Penguin shrugged his shoulders. In the end he could not change anything now. Especially the drunken state and the tiredness bore down on him so much that he ran out of steam to think intensely about what if. And so he remained to be seen and set off yawning to his and Shachi's cabin, where the other surely was sound asleep by now.  
"Right, Shachi… if he has heard us? Or if he… has heard Law? Or if Kanaye has heard him? No, quite sure he is sunk in a book," Penguin considered.  
Everyone on board knew that Kanaye gladly devoted himself to the medical literature, which otherwise only was read by their captain. Sure he was no doctor, as Law was, and could not even touch his expertise, but apart from that he surpassed the rest of the crew well concerning medical knowledge. And this was just due to that he used every possible minute to continue his studies. He had Law's complete consent to do this and was allowed, as well as the other crewmembers, if they just wanted to do so, to treat himself to read his books. And he even did this in case he was on night watch. But as never anything had happened when Kanaye had been looking after the ship Law never had mind it. Penguin was not sure, if Kanaye was favored by luck or if he was even that attentive while reading that he would have had noticed every sound on board anyway.  
"But well, even if he has heard Law, then he will assume that he hauled one of the broads in his cabin. Even though he wouldn't do this usually, since he was the one who has imposed the ban on women on board. Besides he first had to realize that the moan was Law's voice." Penguins grin broadened more and more while he was thinking about how his captain's voice came into his ears and how he looked withal. "Whatever. Maybe he wasn't even that loud as I thought. If nobody has noticed it and if Law won't waste any word about it, and as I know him he won't do that in any case, this will remain my little secret forever."  
He reached his room. As silent as possible he opened the massive steel door, moved in and closed it again. Only less light fell from the town through the big round porthole. Nevertheless he could recognize Shachi, who was obviously sleeping deeply in his bunk.  
The smirk on Penguin's face gave way for a soft smile as he saw the younger lying there breathing calmly, "Well, at least he's not crying. And as well it doesn't seem as he has heard us."  
Again he had to yawn and began to undress himself anon to get in his own bed just in his boxer shorts. But before he laid down entirely and closed his eyes he thought again of what just had happened.  
During that he looked at his best friend, "Sorry, Shachi. Although we are telling everything the other one, even you will never get to hear of that."

\- flashback end -

After Law had rebuffed Penguin considering the visit of a bar and had left him in the hallway to the treatment room, his way led him downstairs where the rooms of the crew were. Determined he made his way to his cabin. He went at a smart pace past the sleeping rooms of his crew members, turned the corner once and pushed the door to his own four walls roughly open. With a sudden movement of his hand he slammed the door after himself. The loud bang, which came up from it and resounded in the hallway, did not bother him in the least.  
"Knowing the others they have already set off to the town," he thought while he went over to his desk and let himself fall into his comfortable chair.  
Law himself did not feel the need to go out and to have fun - no, not today. Not after what he had done just again. Besides on board a lot of work awaited him and he prefered spending his time on it. And if it was not work he rather read a book and improved himself. You never knew when this knowledge would be of use. Most of all as a doctor it was of major importance knowing a lot and being able to recall it in an emergency.  
He opened the left upper drawer of his desk, pulled it utterly open and took the logbook out.  
"It's getting time," he spoke his thoughts aloud, opened the book and turned some of the written pages over until he got to his last entry.  
It had been a while he noticed when he looked at the date of the last entry. Slightly annoyed about himself a murmur escaped his throat. He had let things slide too much. And whose fault was that? In his mind's eye only for a moment the picture of Penguin showed up, but he rapidly tried to suppress it and to concentrate himself on his actual task. It worked out - for now.  
Law pulled the small inkpot to himself, opened the cap and reached with his right hand towards his pen. He dipped it in the ink, set it on the empty white paper and wrote in more or less readable writing the for the logbook relevant events of the last weeks down. Luckily he had a really good memory and did not forget things so fast, so he could now write them down in detail.  
Only his normally outstanding ability to concentrate left a lot to be desired lately. As the tip of the feather incessantly went over the page, a word after the other appeared on the paper, the doctor's thoughts wandered off again. He was sure that his crew had found a well visited bar in the town and was mightily amused.  
"If Penguin is enjoying himself too? Possibly even with women?" was his thought crossing his mind.  
Hastily he shook his head. Why of all things did he have to think about this right now? It usually did not matter to him what his guys and therefore also Penguin did on such boozy sessions.  
Anyway previously it had been that way, but lately it was not more like that and he thought with increasing frequency pointedly of the older one. First of all thereby he thought of the sex with him. And even though he tried to suppress it, in these moments where he was alone it came up again. Because it did not remain just this one time - and yes, he remembered everything in detail. Every time anew he cursed himself for it, even though he secretly enjoyed the sex with Penguin more than anything else. Yet admitting and standing his man he could not do that. In order to do this his pride and ego was too big. And also the thought butted in that it was wrong, if he as the captain in this manner slept with someone. And like that he searched for another way to compensate for it.  
Shachi had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time and one evening, when he and the surgeon had remained alone on board, he had let the latter a too close go at himself. Law had yet known that the younger already had slept with his best friend and so he had made full use of this information. Assuming the active part had not been difficult to Law in any case, although Shachi was a man as well. Especially as he already knew how it worked due to Penguin. And because the younger did not struggle and endured everything and obviously had neither talked about it with Penguin nor anyone else, the doctor could vent his pent-up fury, which chiefly applied his own person, on him. That was exactly what he had just done in the treatments room. Law knew that it was bad. It was obvious to Law that he abused Shachi and his reticence and harmed him to get a clean conscience, what was crowned with bad success besides. That he just had had sex for though, he did not feel satisfied at all. Quite the contrary.  
"Fuck," escaped him.  
Slightly annoyed Law put the ink pen aside, after all he knew that it was pointless to write any further. How much he wanted to continue on his work, he could no longer concentrate on it. This urge deep down inside himself got bigger again and he could not fight back any longer. Leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes and stroked with his right hand over his crotch. A quiet gasp leaked through his lips. Even now he could already feel that his penis started to get hard.  
While he opened the belt of his pants plus them too and let his hand slip inside his boxer shorts, he thought how it was not his hand touching him there right now. But he would not admit what he actually wanted it nor go to the person concerned and beg him to do it with him. He just could not do it. When after that evening it happened again that he had slept with Penguin it was because Penguin approached him. Always. Til this one time.

\- a few weeks ago -

Laying on his back Law opened the eyes and blinked a few times. The sun, which was already high in the sky and which the Heart Pirate's captain, who was a morning crouch unparalleled, thought was the morning sun, blinded him through the huge window of his cabin. Half asleep he turned his head at his right side and took a look at the face of his alarm-clock: Quarter past eleven. Again he had nearby slept until noon. Thereby this time was really early by his standards. It happened quite often that he slept until afternoon, if nobody woke him. But in these cases he mostly had not been in bed before the early morning hours at sunrise if at all. He just was a night person, but did not have a healthy sleep-wake cycle.  
"I can't remember when I went to bed," he moved his head back and looked up at the ceiling, "but anyhow I've dreamed awful crap. I must have drunk too much."  
He had just finished the last thought when his tactile sense woke up finally and he noticed that he was holding something in his left hand.  
"Huh?" With this interrogative sound towards himself and corresponding face expression he lifted his arm slowly and moved his hand in front of his face.  
It was white paper tissue which peeped out of his closed fist. At first he was confused, before a few moments later he was suddenly horrified and sat up quickly. Too quickly as he noticed when a sharp pain, which radiated from his bottom, went through his body. He winced briefly, but remained seated and looked down himself in panic: He was naked. Not that his own nudity shocked him, but he was used to sleep in comfortable trousers or at least in boxers. For that this was not the case now he would gladly blame yesterday's evening, when he have had a drop too much and therefore had undressed himself too far. But that this was not so his behind made clear as well as the tissue in his hand. Law swallowed: He could remember everythinks, every single detail of the last night. Until a few seconds he had thought it was just a weird dream.  
Only hesitantly he dared to look between his legs on the mattress, clenched his teeth in the process since it hurt furthermore to bend forward. And there he saw what he hoped not to discover: Dried stains on the white sheet, which were indicative of that recently something had dropped on it. As a man he recognized these sort of stains and immediately he knew what he was dealing with.  
He looked up again and numb against the wall opposite of his bed: "That can't be true. That… MUST not be true."  
It had not been a dream. He had actually slept with one of his men - and that even passive. It seemed for him as if his stomach turned around his own axis and he started to feel worse. Not because of the thing itself or of the stains, which were brought along it. No, much more since he realized that it had pleased him in the end. He could really remember each spoken word, each single sound even each gesture, which they both had uttered. It echoed in his own ears how he ordered Penguin, nearly already had begged him to continue. The feeling how he had enjoyed it came up again and let him shiver. Hasty, even though it hurt, Law jumped up. The crumpled up paper tissues he hurriedly picked up from the floor and disposed of them together with the one in his hand into the trash, before he went back to the bed, pulled up his boxer shorts and jeans and tore the sheets faster than he had ever done before in his life from the mattress. He put it as a bundle under his arm and went to the wardrobe. That his rectal hurt with each step he tried to ignore it ably. He was never squeamish and would not start to be it now. Besides everything inside him demanded to get under the shower. If possible he hoped he could wash away the previous night and with it to get rid of the thoughts about it.  
With clean clothes and a stained sheet under the arm he left his chamber and went the direct way to the bathroom.  
Unlike at other times he did not care at all if his entire crew showed up on board after the last evening.  
In his head there was only one thought: "No one is allowed to hear of this!"

Suddenly he pushed the door to the shower room open and noticed that someone before him already had got the same idea. At least the water flowed in one of the three shower cabins.  
Now, of all times! But hiding something what was going on inside him Law was an expert in that. So he went, after he had put his clean clothes aside, with an undeterred face to the tray with the dirty laundry, disposed of the sheet and his worn pants and grabbed a tower from the pile on the shelf, to afterwards walking up to one of the free showers. He had always approved that they even though being all men had not an open big shower room. Instead you had a bit of privacy and were not under surveillance if you leaned back absorbed in thought under the ray of water for a few minutes. Just that he would do now after he had washed away the remains of the last night from his body. He had just hung his towel beside the cabin and wanted to enter the shower when the rushing of water next door stopped and the door was opened. Holding the handle of the cabin door in his hand Law froze once again, but this time testier since in the corner of his eye he recognized who had stepped out of the door.  
And also the other noticed him when he grasped at his towel.  
"Oh, good morning, Captain." Penguin spoke quite and neutral to him from the side, while he began to rub his raven hair dry.  
Law did not say anything at all, but he knew something for sure, "It is not my day."  
The older hung the towel over his shoulders and held on to it on both ends, for sure realizing that his counterpart remain motionless, "Is everything alright?".  
The surgeon's eyes got closer due to this question. Was he serious about that? Didn't he remember anything? Yet he just had been sure that the other had been much more sober than himself.  
"Are you kidding me?" Scowling he looked at Penguin, who stood still naked and soaking wet next to him.  
He was swallowing, since he knew what had happened last night. And just that moment he realized that also his captain could remember everything.  
Hastily he glanced once through the room, to make sure they were alone, before he looked back at the younger again and now approached him more quitely but much more nervously instead, "No, Captain. But that is just quite sure between the two of us! I swear!"  
Law remembered Penguin's words he said last evening. Obviously the older was still afraid to be teared up to pieces. But the doctor did not have had time yet to think about how he wanted to proceed with Penguin. He had not envisaged to cross his path that soon again.  
"For sure it will," he sizzled, "one word and you will regret it!"  
The stress of Law's word made clear that he was not larksome at all.  
"Aye, Captain!" To the older it seemed advisable to follow his order loyal again, nevertheless he dared finally making a comment smirking, "I just hope it doesn't hurt that bad. But you wanted it like that."  
That this was not a good idea Law's deadly glance made clear when he turned around his head and flashed at him, "That's not one of your damn business!"  
Penguin boggled a little. But only a few seconds later he stood again upright again as he noticed how Law's expression, which just had been such awing, suddenly got empty and seemed to be stucked at him.  
And he was not wrong with that at all. Even Law caught himself a few moments later how his subconscious mind drew his attention again on that torso, which was much broader and more muscelous that his own. Like in trance he watched the waterdrops falling from Penguin's wet hair down on his chest and running further down. He realized his brain wanted to make his hands to touch his opposite. But this did not happen, since he barely could recover himself.  
"What are you doing again?" cuffed Law himself inside and turned his head away quickly.  
"We talk later!" So he made off inside the shower and left back a visibly confused Penguin.  
Immadetily he turned on the water to get under it and face the shower head. So he did not notice as well how the other left the room soon after.  
"Fuck! What was this again? Why did I stare at him as anything again? There can't be so much alcohol left in my blood after so many hours." Law did not understand himself any longer.  
Just now he wanted to stand here to handle the fact that he slept with Penguin. Now he had to ascertain that he had just gazed at him completely unintentionally again. And besides suddenly the desire to touch him as well had arisen inside him. What the hell was going on? Had someone slipped him some aphrodisiac at the evening? Impossible. For what reason? Law bowed his head, opened the eyes and looked at his palms. He never had been the type which was attracted by another person so much that he he even looked at him uncontrolled and even fell like touching him. Especially no male! And above all none of his own crew, with whom he had been at sea for such a long time now! He leaned his forearm against the still cold tiles above the faucet and his brow against that so that the water felt down on his neck and back. He did not understand anything at all any longer. Up to now he had blamed the alcohol for everything, although it was absurd. But now? He sighed in remained in this pose.  
It took perceived donkey's years til Law could brace up to finally wash himself and leave the shower in the end. To a solution why he suddenly reacted to Penguin like he had showered in pheromones he had lately not come anyway. But still his seemingly out of control body requested for something familiar now: coffee - in fact much of it.  
Therefore the doctor went with a still tortured bottom as well as thoughts to the galley, but had put on a neutral mien. When he arrived there and went in, there were beside the cook Dai, who obviously prepared the lunch, also Kanaye, Shou and Bepo present.  
"Oi! Good morgen, Captain!," Dai shouted while he flipped something in the pan standing at the stove and saw him in the corner of his eye.  
Even Kanaye and Shou, who again debated loudly about something, and also Bepo, who had tried to calm them down to no avail, as a result looked up at him and greeted him. Since it was nothing unusual that he stood up so late they referred to it as the morning for him.  
"Morning," he said barely as he unerring went up to the coffeepot, which stood as usual at this hour in the area to keep it warm beside the stove.  
While doing that he shortly peered in the faces of all those present, upon it watching out for someone of them looked strangely at him. It might be that they had heard something it crossed his mind. But it did not seem that way since currently everyone of them attended to their previous activity. With a brimming coffee cup Law sat down without letting anything of his former wound show at the big dining table and opened the newspaper, which laid there every day for him.  
Usually he used to study it very intensively and spend a lot attention on the attached wanted posters. To him it was important to know how high the bounties of several criminals and those who were entitled like this wrongly. Lastly he aimed for major felons for a special reason. But today he could not concentrate on it at all. However after all?  
"Kanaye?" he suddenly talked at the tall, raven-haired spectacle wearer, who had just knuckled on Shou's head.  
He looked back, "Yes, Captain?"  
"Anything suspicious last night?" While he asked this, the surgeon continued browsing the newspaper purposelessly.  
He had just remembered that, if anyone had witnessed anything, it soonest had to be the one who had been on night watch.  
"No, nothing." The answer was to calm and realxed so that Law did not expect he was lying.  
Anyway he looked back at him proving. But also his expression did not purpout as he was hiding something. Therefore he now glanced at Bepo.  
"What about the Log Pose?" he wanted to know.  
The navigator spinned around, "Aye! The new course is set."  
"Well. Than we put out to sea promptly, as soon as everyone is on board, and dive!" was Law's clear order.  
After they had left Amazon Lily they returned to the Sabaody Archipelago with help of an Eternal Pose which Rayleigh had handed over to them. But at this time the captain of the Heart Pirates already had decided that he would not sally to the New World all too soon. In any case he wanted to avoid the danger to be involved in unnecessary fights. He knew that at the moment a huge amount of rookies were betaken there and also the marine would become more active on the other side of the Redline. And this at a sea which was, as he had heard multiple times, anyway much rougher than the local one. So it was just reckless to spring at the Grandline's second half blindly. Further he wanted to wait til some of his enemies had put out each other out of action. Since he did neither wanted to endanger his men nor himself if avoiding was possible. Besides he had some other plans than just finding the One Piece. Ever it was just a pretence to be on the Grandline. Even his own crew did not know about this. As they did not know a lot about him until the present day. But nevertheless they followed him steadily. They trusted him, but had already tried to probe. However they always had dashed against his hard shell and had accepted that the purposes and plans of their captain were not always clear or obvious at all. Law did not perceive why he should tell them anything about his intentions or himself, he assumed that they trusted him though. Who did not want to accept was free to leave. But until now nobody had turned his back on him. Instead the also followed him when they used a further Eternal Pose, that Law bought at the Sabaody Archipelago, to sail singular way back at the first half of the Grandline  
just to head again for the Archipelago on a new course. And nobody scrutinized this paradoxical seeming action. From time to time he wondered himself, if it was wise to follow him without knowing anything. But also he knew that he would not be able to go very far on his own. Therefore he left it at that before betraying anything and so shattering his really tough and battle seasoned crew.  
Although they had only docked at the island the day before, they followed him even now without asking when Bepo reacted with an "Aye!" and dashed to the bridge. No one could guess that this time his only reason for the order to put out to sea was only because he wanted to leave this island fast. After all she had got him to do something which he would regret his whole life long.  
The door of the galley had not fully closed behind the first mate as it already was opened by Ban again.  
"Morning," he yawned inside the room.  
"Morning?" as a result Kanaye said, who in the meantime had laid down his dispute with Shou, because he was to his satisfaction forced to peel the potatoes by Dai, "Have you looked at the time?"  
"Eh," the other sat down at a chair beside the table, "it's morning. Do you know when I laid inside my bunk?"  
The wearer of the glasses looked vastly superior at the ceiling, "Let me think. If you gave each of the three ladies with whom we had seen you leaving shortly at half past one the same attention and you need for the way back to the ship five minutes, then it was kinda twenty to two."  
Indeed Ban gave the impression of being tired, but not as much that he would not understand what his opposite wanted to say with it, "Make twenty to five out of it and it will be right. As long I had namely fun with the ladies."  
"It's impossible. You know smoking makes impotent," the other responded.  
But Ban showed him his middle finger as an answer, pulled a toothpick from the pocket of his overall and started to chew on it like he did it often as a replacement for smoking. Because on deck was out of safety reason a strict smoking ban what was a total pain for the chain smoker on longer dives.  
Law only listened lukewarmly to the conversation and went on reading the paper. At least it seemed like this. He was still trapped by his thoughts. Besides it was nothing new that the literate and rather careful Kanaye tried to wind the cheeky daredevil Ban up by ascribe poor steadfastness in bed to him. You could have the impression that Kanaye always was after dispute. But this was not the case. To the contrary: Altogether he was a calm and friendly contemporary. Only Shou and Ban, who both were really rude, made him sometimes behaving like this. Whereby Shou, who with his eighteen years the crew's youngest member, appeared much more naive and at least had no big mouth in front of their captain.  
Quite different from Ban, who looked now at the latter one and approached him, "Well, you've found the way into your bed yet again? You really boozed a lot, Captain."  
"Your problem?" Law spouted unconcerned as he was used to such sayings of him.  
Ban remain undeterred, since he knew his captain long enough, "We really were in fear that you might fall into the harbour's basin. But fortunately Penguin went along with you. I'm sure he tucked you in unhurt."  
Already his first sentence made Law freezing again. He did not have a clue how scantily he escaped from that. And the doctor remembered that Penguin pulled him at his chest in the very nick of time and how warm he fell then. That was something Law did not want to think of now less than ever. Ban's last words were the final straw and he plunked his coffee mug on the table, took the newspaper under his arm, while he stood up rashly, and went over to the door.  
"Stop cracking and instead make sure that everyone is on board. We cast off." So he left the room.  
"Wow, he is in a bad mood today," Shou, who just fetched a big sack of spuds from the storeroom, mentioned.  
Ban, who was already used to wrongfoot Law from time to time, even it did not happen always, kept calm. "Well, guess he regrets that the women for not good enough and he, compared to me, only had sex with right hand if at all. Finally he is just a man too."  
"But one with more class and claims compared to you," Kanaye replied while he passed him at his way to the exit, whereupon Ban reacted with a fake yawn, "I'll yet tell the others that we are casting off and diving and take care that everyone is…"  
But he could not finish his sentence as the carrier of the headband was abruptly awake at the word "dive", jumped up and flashed past him, "Dude, say it before that we are going to dive! You know very well that I want to smoke before that!"  
Kanaye shrugged with his shoulders while Ban already bolt out of the door. "I haven't said you just because of this."  
Behind him was the laugher of Shou and Dai to hear.

After Law had left the galley again his glance was darker than ever. He did not feel like having any company. Most of all not of such whose main subject above all was sex. He better went back into his cabin again and there he pored over something alone. He had not come far as he could hear behind him the door to the galley being opened again and noticed how someone hastily stormed to the weather deck.  
There were only two persons of the crew who usually were in a hurry to get outside, Bepo, when after a longer dive it got too warm in his bear skin again, or however Ban, who had to smoke fast before or after a dive. Since the first could not be true, especially since the vice-captain was not in the galley anymore, it could only be the last one, who only got to know that they would be under water again and he would be forced being a nonsmoker for time. Even though Ban was a bigmouth and had often even before him a loose tongue, he still was a faithful member of the crew. Law knew that he could depend on him in case of emergency, the more so as he was a huge strong fighter - beside Penguin probably the strongest on board.  
Damn it! There HE was again in his head.  
Teeth-gnashing Law continued his way. Usually it was rare that he immediately gave the command for diving after leaving a harbour. Since he did not want to bother neither Bepo nor Ban needlessly and also the rest of the crew was happy if they could go outside instead of being imprisoned in the yellow steel ship quite a few meters under the sea level. Even himself did not have to be under water nonstop. But to him it seemed to be the safest method to rescue them from attacks. And those he feared the most when he was absent-minded. Sure his crew was tough and a pretty good team, but nevertheless he was the only one on board with devil powers, which were already had been their last escape against other devil fruit users. But at the moment he was really too out of it as if he would have risked to be involved in a fight. And it would only be for some hours, as he thought when he entered his cabin.  
But only a few hours became quite a few and so it was already dark when Law bethought and the ship burst through the sea surface due to his order. Hitherto he had spent the time brooding in his room and skipped lunch and dinner once again , just to pace up and down in his cabin.  
Meanwhile he had tried take his mind off it through reading his books. But even this had been less successful. He just could not let go of what he had done last night and especially the fact that he had liked it and even sober his body reacted so strange to Penguin.

Also during the following days these were the main thoughts in his head. He just could not explain himself why he just fell that attracted by that man. The thought of it annoyed him downright. He even went to the length of drawing blood himself because he hoped he would be able to explain his behavior due to the medical way. But here he failed too.  
That he was again musing about something did not slip his crew's attention as the noticed he distanced attitude. But since every question about his condition was thrown out in anyway, they surrendered soon to be scared for him. And it was not the first time that he acted like this. He did not knew if anyone realized that he completely steered clear of Penguin. He totally stayed away from him just to avoid that weird situation like at the showers. Only once he talked to him. In fact to force him to do the night watch for the next two weeks. Without any reason. At least it looked like that to outsiders. And the others really wondered what Penguin had been up to, because normally Law did not distributed punishments just because on a whim. Generally he was quite human at this and only imposed them when someone had done a serious slip. But as well as out of the doctor it was impossible to tickle anything out of Penguin. He just accepted the punishment mutely and wandered night after night alone through the ship  
Also in the tenth night. Law sat at this time broad awake on his bed leaning with the back against the headboard and reading. He could not sleep. Like often in the last nights not. His thoughts drove him to insanity. The night watch he had gave Penguin only out of frustration about himself with the words "You know what for!". By now he regretted it a bit. After all it had not been the fault of the other one that in that night they had got in bed together. He knew that. But he needed a scapegoat. However it did not help to get rid of the thoughts of it. Actually afterwards even he thought that he had acted childish. He had better sought the talk with him, but did not manage to talk about such a matter like as about the weather. He was too embarrassed about what he had done.  
That Penguin had similar thoughts in his mind during his nightly rounds and also by day and every time when he passed his captain's cabin stopped for a while and thought about talking to him, Law did not know. And so it lasted until that night that the doctor looked up from his book to the door due to a sudden knock.


	4. Be Yourself

**Chapter IV - Be Yourself**

The nightwatch preyed on Penguin's mind. Actually he was no night person. Instead he prefered getting up with the sun just to train a bit before breakfast.  
He placed a lot of value on keeping in shape and improving his strength. Therefore he also liked to do a little sparring in the exercise room of the ship with some of the other crewmates, however those usually lost out to him. This was no surprise as he already addressed himself to material arts at an early age and put a lot of time into his training. The only one on the ship who was still able to measure up to him was Ban. How much Penguin had liked to dare him to a trial of strength the next morning.  
But this was not possible because he would walk through the empty walkways of the submarine on his own for at least the next four nights. Maybe even longer as he was not sure if his captain would leave it at these two weeks of nightwatch. After all he wondered how things should went on between the two of them since he avoided him consistently since that night.  
"This is just ridiculous. We have to talk about it. And if he doesn't want to talk, he shall rather kick me out of the crew instead of behaving like this. He sometimes really acts childish." With these thoughts Penguin did not stand in front of the captain's cabin for the first time during his nightly rounds, this time he did not make a retreat though. He caught a deep breath and knocked at the door determinedly.  
It took a moment and Penguin was already tempted to walk away again when you could hear a "Come in!" from the door's other side. After some hesitation he grabbed the handle and opened the door. However he did not do it too swiftly as he would not want to anger his captain directly and not to let the atmosphere overturn instantly.  
Law sat on his bed, which stood centered at the right wall lengthwise to the door, reading a book and turned his head aside to see who of his men grace him with his presence that late. Promptly his expression turned cloudy when he saw Penguin, who was still standing at the open door holding the handle.  
With an annoyed sound of his voice the doctor looked back at his book and flipped the page as if he wanted to continue reading, "What do you want?"  
"Talk to you, Captain!" Penguin lent a certain weight on his voice, which should signify the other that he did not let himself being put off and send forth.  
"I don't know what we have to talk about." Sure Law knew it. But he did not want to talk about it and looked further grimly on the scientific text in front of him.  
Still the older did not let himself being intimidated by his unwelcoming harsh way. Even though he usually obeyed him, but in this case he would not give in. No matter what. He wanted to resolve the issue now once and for all. Therefore he pulled his hat from his head and at the same time closed the door behind him.  
"You know it very well. But if you don't want to talk about it and rather still want to ignore me, well, then that's how it is. In that case don't expect from me that I'll stay any longer on board. Because for me it's too stupid to get treated like I was not here by my own captain. I don't have to take this, even though I regret it a lot." And yes, Penguin would really regret it, after all by now the Heart Pirates were already like his family.  
But he did not feel like following a man who did not deign to look at him.  
Sighing annoyed Law closed his reading, put it on his right bed table onto two other books and turned around so he was sitting on the edge of the bed. But on the side which faced the huge round window opposite the door so that he turned his back on Penguin. Obviously he did not want to look at him.  
"Somehow this sounds like extortion," he said with a snarl, while he was now sitting there straddle-legged, bracing his elbows on his thighs and his chin on his folded hands.  
Penguin lifted one eyebrow and looked at him, "How should I extort you with this? At the moment it doesn't seem like it is important to you that I'm still a part of your crew."  
Decisively he looked across the bed at Law's back.  
"Bullshit!" he spitted unexpected and stood up quickly to walk straight over to his desk, which was placed in front of the window.  
Vigorously he pushed his hands on the dark-brown wooden tabletop and peered into the dark night. They were not diving at the moment and therefore he could watch the black waves which were shimmering in the moonlight. The sea was quite calm. Infrequently a wave sloshed that high that it hit the lower edge of the windowpane before it became one with the black mass further down again.  
On purpose Law did not look at the other. He knew too well how his body would react again. Just the fact that he was in the same room let him be uneasy. Especially due to the dim light of his bedside lamp he could also see himself and Penguin in the windowpane.  
"If this is bullshit," Penguin continued at the other side of the room, "then please explain to me how you think to go on with this? Are you planning to ignore me for all eternity?"  
Law hesitated before he confessed quietly, "Dunno."  
The other watched him standing unstrung at the desk, bowing his head and staring at some notes.  
"I know that I've made a mistake. That by now you let me feel above all. But because of that you can't avoid me forever if you want that I rather stay on board." Penguin tried to stay calm.  
However Law's next statement confused him: "You haven't made a mistake."  
What? If he hadn't made a mistake why did his leader behaved like that towards him and moreover had given him for Law's standards a rather hard punishment in form of a longer term nightwatch?  
Exactly this was the point where Penguin went into it, "If I didn't so, why do I have to run my feet off night by night then? And why then the hell do you treat me like shit now? That makes no sense."  
Again a pause of some length occurred before the surgeon answered calmly, "Because I refuse to believe it and can't accept it!"  
Penguin rolled his eyes. He hated it when he had to worm everything out of somebody. And his captain was a great candidate for this, you were glad if you made him talk at all though.  
"That you slept with a man?" He had no scruples to speak this aloud. "Is it this horrible for you?"  
Now the other answered surprising quickly and appropriately loud, he still did not turn around thoguh, "No!"  
No, that he had slept with a man was by now the smallest problem the young doctor had.  
"I have slept with one of MY own men," now he spun around and spitted toxically at him, "passive! THAT is much worse! Therefore the punishment as well. I wanted to avoid that you get arrogant just because you… bedded your captain."  
Surprised the other glanced back and looked in Law's eyes, which visibly reflected his inner disturbance and despair. Now Penguin understood what the problem was: Law fought with the fact that as a captain he had given himself to one of his subordinates in this way. According to that it was his fear to lose his reputation and the respect, which his crew paid to him, once someone came to know of this.  
Just when he had turned around Law already regretted this decision again. Because right that moment Penguin stroked with his hand through his straight, raven hair. Sure he did this without any ulterior motive. He could not know that even this simple gesture caused a wave of lust inside his captain - lust to do it again.  
Penguin sighed, "Surely I won't lose my respect towards you or stop seeing you as my captain. Actually you should also know that I'm not arrogant. And I told you that nobody will learn anything about this from me. It was a one-off which only happened because we were drunk. And sometimes you do stupid things if you're drunk. I will take care that this will never happen again. But I can't do anymore than promise that nobody will ever…"  
Law, who knew very well that Penguin did not tend to arrogance, cut him short harshly though, "It wasn't the alcohol!"  
Again the one next to the door eyed him confused, "It was not the alcohol? Do you mean to say…"  
Penguin stopped speaking. He remembered the next day at the showers when Law looked over him sober. Was it him? Was his captain sexually attracted by him? For a moment he regreted that he had taken off his hat. Otherwise he had pulled it further down into his face now to hide that he was blushing a little.  
Also on Law's cheeks a subdued red appeared, however Penguin could not see it due to the distance to him.  
A little bit embarrassed the younger looked to the side and spoke more calmly but still furiously on: "On the last island I've slept in one night with three women only to prove to myself that I just imagine wanting the sex with you."  
Penguin's eyes widened: He had not expected so much honesty by his opposite. Apparently the whole thing stressed him awfully. Therefore he was happy that he now talked with him about it and gave him the opportunity to understand his behavior.  
"I thought," Law continued, "that then everything would be as it was before. And I would notice that it satisfy me equally. But it hasn't. Not a bit! And it wasn't the fact that the women were bad. It just hasn't given me what I wanted. Whatever it might be. And also…"  
He stopped.  
Penguin chased it up, "And also what?"  
Law bite his underlip briefly, well deliberating if it was right to be even more plain.  
"Now it is too late to lock the stable door after the horse had bolted, Law. Besides he has bedded you. You have already put your cards on the table. Therefore it doesn't matter," crossed his mind before he spoke on. "And even when I pleasured myself it didn't change anything. Fucking shit! Suddenly, everytime I see you, I want to touch you and like to do it again!"  
With his last words Law glanced angrily at him again. Inside him his thoughts whirled and mixed up with despair and rage, whereas this was directed at himself above all. Everything he had said was the truth: He had desperately tried to get away from being that much attracted by Penguin, but he had failed. Every time when he had caught sight of him after that night again, arousal had suddenly grown inside him and he could not explain himself why it was like this. Not to mention that he did not know how he could halt it. Also now he became more restless, when he looked at him and his manly, striking, but also symmetric and beautiful face. Inside him rose the wish to lay down on the bed promptly in front of him and begging him to repeat it. But Law dissembled this.  
Penguin gazed stunned back: So that was why he was avoiding him. Now he had heard from Law himself what he had already thought. His expression turned back to ease.  
"I see," he replied calmly.  
But Law disagreed completely, "No! You don't get it at all! You don't get what this means to me! Somehow I have to put this desire down but I don't know how!"  
The other dared to walk some steps towards him, "What it means to you? What does it mean to you?"  
"That's what I just told you! I'm the captain here!" Law got louder again.  
Anyway Penguin was not deterred by this now and went over to him past the bed's footboard, but stopped about three feet away from him. "Well, so what! That doesn't mean that you're not allowed to do such things. Apart from that I don't think that anybody of the guys will excoriate you due to this: I've told you several times now that nobody will learn about it from me. And I won't think in another way of you because of this. You are and you will stay my captain - assumed that you don't treat me like I'm not here."  
Now Penguin could clearly see the slight blush on Law's face.  
The thoughts, that came to his mind at this sight, he kept for himself though, "Sure he can be frightening, but now he's looking really cute when he's so upset. At the moment I'd love nothing better than sleeping again with him."  
His opposite looked away again, as soon as he was so close to him, and kept silent again. The other's thrusting, dark eyes let his arouse grow further more. And this was not what Law wanted. He just did not want to accept that his libido responded like this to his counterpart.  
That Penguin meanwhile also eyed him up precisely and could not refuse that he was fond of him, the younger did not notice.  
"We have to do it again! Pretty sure then my body will realize that I don't want this at all," he mumbled after some time.  
Thunderstruck the older one looked at him before he, similar like the last time, had to laugh briefly, "Pretty sure not. Sorry, Captain, but this is the biggest bollocks I've ever heard."  
Again the other flashed angrily at him, "Really? Then tell me how to stop this!"  
Penguin shrugged his shoulders, "Not at all? Or by sitting it out? Perhaps you really just have to ignore me long enough, although I don't think that this will change anything."  
But the other did not seem like he was listening to his words any longer at all. Because just when he looked again at him his furious countenance abated from his face. There it was again: The growing desire. Even though Penguin was wearing his overall entirely closed for a change Law wanted to touch him. Again he started to look him over. And again it seemed like this was happening unwitting, as if his brain was completely disabled for that moment.  
Penguin watched him for a few seconds until he released him from hanging though, "Forget it, I won't sleep with you again just to be treated like this by you after it once more."  
He was serious. No matter how handsome the younger was, Penguin would not do this with such an idea in his head. He turned around to leave. Freed from his trance a little moment later Law rushed past him to the door, locked it and pressed himself with his back against it.  
Penguin looked at him sceptically when he reached the door, "Are you kidding me? With all due respect, Captain, THIS is ridiculous."  
A bit surprised Law eyed his face. He did not expect Penguin to face him that way. Momentarily he admired him for his courage, although Penguin really was not that kind of person that could be pushed down easily. After all he reverted to his imperious role.  
"You will go nowhere without my permission! We will do it now once more!" His opposite did not miss the purposefulness in Law's steel-blue eyes when he was standing right in front of him.  
The other quarreled with himself: He could not deny that he was still a bit tempted to have sex with him once more. Just the very thought of last time when his captain writhed underneath him was alluring. And the memory of this was quite present in his head when he looked in his eyes like this. But, not, this time he would not relent, no matter how much loyalty and respect he paid his captain otherwise: He would not do it a second time. Especially not with what was in Law's mind.  
He reacted accordingly harshly now when he braced himself with his right hand against the door next to Law's head and snarled at him, while he impacted the cap in his fist tightly, "No we won't! If you like give me the night watch for the rest of my life or disassemble me with your devil fruit power! But I will NOT sleep with you once more… CAPTAIN! Not when you have in mind to hate it and will likely again forbid me to prepare you properly and compel me due to this to hurt you again. And I know that it caused you horrible pain the last time. Probably it also still hurt a few days later. You won't force me to do this again! And for this reason I don't mind to set against your orders! Because I don't let you command me to harm you and besides to do something that you don't want at all - not a second time!"  
Law's eyes widened. Suddenly his heart started to race. Not because he was afraid of Penguin, even he was a sight stronger than himself and appeared indeed intimidating at the moment with his serious expression. Finally Law still considered himself superior due to his devil fruit powers. The reason was this unbelievable charisma with so much determination, self-control and intripediness inside - this expression in his dark brown eyes, which told him that he did not tolerate any objections, no matter what he would respond. And of course Penguin knew for sure that Law had advantage over him due to his powers. But this did not seem to scare him away from meeting him head-on.  
The doctor stared at him speechless. Penguins words had also textually shaked him. The statement that he did not want to hurt him again affected him fiercely. But why? Was he so much surprised that one of his crewmates said such things? Did he really believe that they did not care about his wellbeing at all? Law just did not know. He looked down on the floor. A deep silence fell.  
Penguin watched his counterpart again sharply. Again he realized that it was hard to resist for himself as well. In his imagination he even started to undress him, he could recover himself quite quickly though. He still disliked Law's plan too much to get involved with it.  
Because Law obviously was still searching for arguments to get him around, Penguin abruptly interrupted the silence, "You've got two options. Either you let me go now, maybe after you have made mincemeat of me since I opposed your orders, or…"  
Now he faltered.  
Law looked up again, "Or?"  
Penguin blushed again which irritated in the light of his just determining manner.  
"Or we do it again, but then with my rules and not to the end that you will hate it afterwards," he replied calmly and looked still firmly into Law's eyes.  
With that said he indirectly confessed that he also was not loath and it was hard to resist for him as well, although he just had decided to do so.  
His opposite seemed surprised. Until that moment he also thought that Penguin did not want to repeat it in any case. But obviously he had been wrong.  
Law's typical mocking, a bit mean smirk appeared on his lips, "So you liked it too?"  
"Sure," Penguin admitted a little sheepishly.  
"I just hope not only because you could nail your captain." Law's face went serious again.  
"Damn, no! That's completely irrelevant!" Penguin said a bit louder before he sighed, "You turn me on as well. Not because you're my captain and therefore I think it's hot to screw you though. But you as a person. You, Law!"  
In fact he dared to call him by his name. Usually the whole crew called him only by his title. Even though Law never had been emphatic about it, it was their way to express their respect towards him.  
But right now Penguin did not want him to involve himself back in this role and to diabolise himself because he as the captain had shown himself towards him like this that night.  
And indeed it aroused a strange feeling inside Law which threw his heart rate out of rhythm again. Once more he did not know why, but he liked it when Penguin called him by his name.  
He did not want to accept it like anything else though.  
"Great, but I want to hate it anyway," he growled quietly.  
"Damn, why?", the older again raised his voice, "What is so bad about the fact that you like it? Just because you are the captain and therefore in your opinion it is not proper if you have sex with me like this?"  
"Yes!" The doctor fizzled back.  
The older sighed and looked suddenly pitying at him, "Why… can't you just be Law and put this stupid title or job or whatever by for a short time? At least here in your own four walls? Finally you're just a human with needs and preferences too. Just simply be this human. Just be yourself: Law! And not the captain. You are it the entire day anyway."  
With this words he caused again something inside the other which he could not understand.  
Just be himself? Forget his tasks that he had here on board? Even it sounded really inviting, this was impossible.  
"I can't! I'm responsible for everything that happens on this ship," again Law looked away, "I mustn't betake myself in such a weak position. Thereby I only bring us all at risk."  
"It's no weak position, Law." Again aware of calling him by his name, Penguin hoped to lead the other to abandon from his cramped attitude. "And you'll bring nobody at risk if you let yourself go sometime and relax utterly here, in your cabin, behind a locked door. And the last time I could awfully well see that you can do this. I think no one here has seen you like this before. And I also think that this is what you meant when you were talking about something that satisfied you which wasn't the case otherwise. Everyone of us needs sometimes a break from his duties and has to let go of and to be himself and to do what makes him relaxing and unwinding. And if I can give you this I'm really willing to do so. But not if you don't want to accept that this is what you want."  
Due to what Penguin said Law's hard shell got more and more chapped. He looked at him stonily.  
"But," again he tried to be resolute, "my task is to care about everything here and to see that everything runs smoothly."  
"Yes. But not all the time! You've got a very competent crew. Therefore this ship will not sink immediately sink just because you seclude yourself for a few hours and unwind." Penguin pushed himself away from the door.  
He did not intend to change Law's mind so he could have sex with him again without a queasy conscience. To him it was much more important that his captain grant himself sometime a downtime and did what he really enjoyed and let him unbend.  
But Law did not want to admit that the other was right, "I do this nearly daily when I'm reading. Like I just did this moment before you came in."  
"No, you don't! Even then your head is working restless and you jump up as soon as you hear a little sound to proof if everything's fine. Instead of just trusting in your men." Penguin just spoke aloud what the entire crew was already discussing for themselves again and again.  
They all knew that their captain considered that he had always to be there on demand and to control everything on board. It was obvious that he had less trust in his crew. Not only Penguin wished that he would show more of it and lean backwards more often. Especially for his own health which he yet paid less attention on, although he should know it better as a doctor.  
"Trust…," went through Law's mind.  
No, he really did not trust anybody that easily. That was also the reason why the most things in his head stayed there. And he knew the reasons for his mistrust. Reasons which belonged to his childhood. In those day when his trust in other humans had been broken. But this did not concern anybody and was not important now.  
"So?" Penguin looked bidingly at him.  
"So what?" Law still looked stubborn back, although the other's words started to galvanize him.  
"May I go or do you prefer to dismember me? I'm sure you won't respond to my offer in any case," was the answer of the older.  
Instead of responding something, the other kept silent, disengaged from the door and passed Penguin. At first he gazed after him over his shoulder a bit confused and watched him heading for the bed.  
He concluded that Law let him go without any more words, "Fine, then I'll just continue my vigil, Captain."  
He just wanted to unlock the door when Law talked again to him, but again without turning around, "We play by your rules and I forget my intention of trying to hate it frantically, but you won't waste a word to anybody."  
It was obvious that it was difficult for him to bend the other's claims, but he knew that Penguin otherwise would never agree to sleep with him once more. He just had made this abundantly clear. But Law felt how much his body called for it.  
Surprised by the calm words the older looked again at his captain, who now turned around and faced him determined. And besides his determination Penguin could suddenly see something else in his eyes that he managed to hide the whole time: Passion. The longer he saw this expression the more he felt the same raising inside himself.  
He ceased from the door and turned to the younger.  
"No word to anybody. I promise. But you'll trust me and let me just do." Again Penguin walked towards him and stopped anew close in front of him. "If you are iffy again I'll drop it immediately no matter how you'll react or whatever you'll threaten me with. And don't think that I'm smug about it just because you're my captain. That is completely irrelevant. Which doesn't mean that I'm losing my respect towards you as the captain."  
He surprised Law again. Actually he thought he would know his crew very well. But he had never expected Penguin to face him ever that imperious as he already did a few moments ago. He had to confess that he liked it somehow though. This kind of self-confidence, which he even showed right now towards him, his captain, turned him on. In fact noticeable as he noted yet that something was stirring beyond his waistline due to this.  
"OK." Law did not look back less self-assured.  
Penguin came even closer so their bodies touched each other.  
He leaned to his ear and whispered, "Most important rule: You are, at least until I leave this room, Law. And not my or anybody's captain. But just yourself instead."  
Penguins deep voice with the subtle seductive undertone close to his ear sent the younger in sudden, unforeseen arousal. He could feel a strong tingling at his lumbar region.  
He smiled slightly and responded quietly, "I'll try."  
His opposite could imagine that it was not that easy for him to just give up this role. And also he had to be careful to continue calling him by his name and not by his title out of habit. Therefore he was satisfied with this answer.  
He threw his cap blindly on the bed while he opened his mouth a bit and started behind Laws golden earrings to trace the outer edge of his ear with his tongue. At the same time he placed his hands on his hips.  
"Let's see if he will really manage to leave the lead to me and play along. I hope so. I really want to go ahead with it and to see him so unbend." So much he wanted to do something good to Law, Penguin could not deny that there was a little self interest as well. Because he had also enjoyed their last fling - even though unperfected. Therefore he hoped it would become better this time and he could again enjoy this arousing view beneath him.  
At first Law remained standing motionless and looked over Penguin's shoulder at the door. A little tension already raised up inside him. Maybe he was even more tensed up as the last time because he was sober now. He was not sure what really was the reason for his unease though. The sex itself or just the fact that he as the captain devoted himself again to the other like that. Only the imagination how he would lay underneath him again in a bit… no Law might not think about that. Abruptly his body tensed up even more.  
The other did not miss his stiffness. He pulled back his head and looked once again in his eyes, "What is it? Didn't you just say as soon as you see me you have the need to touch me?"  
"Yes," was the short answer.  
"Why don't you do it then?" Because Law did not let his inner uncertainty show so easily, Penguin could only guess it, what was not really difficult for him in this situation. "Are you still unsure if you wanna do it?"  
"No." Again came just a brief reaction to this question.  
His opposite sighed not wanting to throw in the towel yet. Instead he raised at first his left foot and took off his dark brown boot before he let him just fall to the ground. The right followed straight away.  
Again he looked at Law, who kept silently tabs on him, "I hope I don't have to undress us both completely again."  
Penguin remembered the last time very well where he nearly had done everything himself.  
This time he did not want Law to remain so inactive again, especially since he openly had said how much he wanted to touch him. By all means the older would not have mind more initiative from his counterpart.  
The other furrowed his forehead. Despite all excitement: He would not take this. So now he grabbed the low end of his dark blue pullover and pulled it suddenly over his head before he let it fall beside himself. At the same time he took off his socks with his feet.  
"Satisfied?" Again Law was about to get a bit very.  
But Penguin smirked while now he for his part eyed him up. The sight of Law's slender but well build torso pleased him very well again.  
"For now yes." Penguin grabbed the button at his collar, opened it and did the same with his zipper afterwards.  
He removed the upper part of his jumpsuit and waited for a response of his counterpart. But it was absent again. Once more it seemed as if Law suddenly spaced out completely. Again a moan of the other one: Where should it lead them?  
He did not miss how the younger's eyes looked down his neck and slipped to his well toned chest and also his abdomen muscles, which were even more pointed due to his tight black top, and got caught at his crotch for a few seconds before he hastily looked back at his chest again. In the course of this in Law arose an incredible heat, which aroused him further.  
"What's the matter? Do you want it now or not?" Penguin broached the subject again.  
"Yes, I want." Law tried to appear determined again.  
Once more the older leaned down to his ear, "Then take it off for me!"  
Law knew what he meant. He faltered briefly before his hands grabbed slowly at the seam of the black fabric and pulled it up. As they were close to have an equal height he was able to take it off entirely when Penguin lifted his arms. While the younger let the garment fall, his eyes stuck tightly to the muscular torso in front of him again. And now, as it was naked, he felt like feeling it beneath his fingers and tracing each of this clearly defined contours even more than previously. But that indisposition about what they were doing restrained him from doing so. He felt his hands, which wanted to touch and explore that body so much, got moist and cold. He clenched them next to his own body in the hope that he could dispel the cold. But everything this resulted in was that Penguin took even more notice of his unease.  
Calmly Penguin laid his hands on Law's. A shiver crossed the doctor's body. Even this simple touch heated his inside more. Meanwhile he could plainly feel his manhood pressing against the solid fabric of his pants.  
"Law." As Penguin breathed his name more than he said it, he shivered even more with excitement.  
"Are you sure that you want to go on? You're still struggling against it. Maybe last time has just confused you and actually your whole body doesn't want that. In this case we drop it and this all never happened." Although Penguin would regret this, since meanwhile he also had a strong desire inside himself to sleep with his opposite again, he did not want to talk him into doing something he did not want to do at all.  
But Law, who had again looked away briefly, responded now unexpected when he released his hand from Penguin's left hand, grabbed it and pressed it with the palm against his crotch.  
And yet he looked seriously at him: "If I don't want it, then explain THIS here to me!"  
Clearly the older could feel the hard bulge under his hand and once more looked surprised at him.  
"My body wants it more than anything else! Only my stupid head doesn't want it, because it always thinks that I am your captain and wants to tell me that it's completely wrong to do it. If it would be that easy to shut it off I had already done so!" The despair, which resonated in Law's words and even laid obviously in his facial expression again, was not missed by Penguin.  
And he felt sorry for him that he could not just loosen up.  
"I need to help him with that. Somehow I need to get him to shut down his thoughts," he thought.  
He looked into his grey blue eyes, which clearly reflected a mix of lust and unease. At that his sight darted briefly over Law's lips before he looked back calmly into his eyes.  
"Sorry about that," he replied gently, "I didn't mean to pressurise you. I know it's not that easy for you."  
He divested his hand of Law's clutch and grasped his hands instead again, pulled them under Law's unsteady look up and laid them on his own chest. Now he was wise to the fact that the younger could not let go off his role that quickly and he had to lead him more than he initially intended. He was ready to do it if it lead to the fact that Law could finally relax again though.  
Law looked perplexed at his tattooed backs of his hands. The smooth skin beneath his fingers felt so good. So soft and hot at the same time. But he could not concentrate on this for long as he suddenly felt Penguin's hand on his back pressing him closer to his body, and the other on his cheek. Again he looked in his face where he now could see even more warmth and gentleness than ever before.  
"Remember, you've promised to play by my rules and to let me do," Penguin reminded him silently.  
Law did not knew what he was up to. Yes of course he had promised this. And he still was up to it.  
"Yes? And that's final," confirmed the other confused.  
"Good," Penguin smiled, "then still try to stop thinking. The only one who will think now, if at all, is me. You just do what your gut says. And not your head."  
Law just wanted to say something again and repeat once more that it was not easy for him, when Penguin spanned the short distance between their faces and laid his lips on his captain's.


	5. Beyond the Surface

**Chapter V - Beyond the Surface**

Law starred frozen into the face straight in front of himself. For a moment he felt like pushing Penguin away. But he was stunned again. Solely his heart pounded even faster than before. And so the other's lips could dwell on his. These lips which were soft as you probably did not expect of a man of Penguin's build. Along with them there was this warm hand on his cheek and a foreign feeling of safety when the other squeezed him so close to his body. It confused him.  
Penguin's black-brown eyes peered back at him and perceived how the younger was taken by surprise. He was not astonished due to this because he kissed him for the first time and this without any prior warning. But for him this was part of having sex. The only reason, why he had not done this the last time, was that at this point he had viewed him as his captain. This did not weigh now though. The man, who he was cradling and kissing now, was simply Law. No more, no less. Anyway he still wanted to give him the opportunity to loosen the kiss and not to make him feel like being forced into it, although they were playing by his rules. Therefore he eased the pressure, which is hand caused on his back, a little and let it feathery run down to his butt, where he let it bide awhile, closing his eyes in doing so.  
Law nearly missed how his hand began to move. He was still utterly perplexed. Sure it was not strange to him to kiss other people. Quite the reverse. He had already accepted the, in his eyes bothersome, fact that most women were fond of it when sleeping with them. Yet that Penguin would now kiss him as well he had not awaited this.  
"What's the point of this? What does he expect of this?" crossed his mind, which unwantedly started to work intensive again while the other closes his eyes at the moment. "This doesn't make a difference at all."  
Even so Law allowed it and discarded the intent to force more strength against Penguin's chest, where his hands still laid, to push him away and to reduce the physical contact. After all he had promised to play his game, even though the way of the other seemed to him totally irrational. Now therefore he followed suit and closed his lids too.  
Through this he also sensed Penguin's hand lying on his bottom and started to caress it gently. He liked it, Law had to confess himself. And equally gently and softly suddenly his lips set in to move against his. They slowly embraced his upper and lower lip responsively. Law endured it. Still he did not catch the object beyond this, but he either could not say that he disliked it completely. Anew the activities of Penguin's hand slipped his attention, when this went back shade higher and two fingers slid behind his waistband to stroke to his front. Just after the doctor had realized that, Penguin's second hand already did something and settled on his head's back, where he buried his fingers in his short black hair. Law was not aware that all those alternating and to him unfamiliar body contacts did not let any space in his head for more doubts.  
Instead his opposite was all the more. Because exactly this had been Penguin's aim. Sure he had already yearned to kiss him last time, but now he also did so to overwhelm him as much as possible with new impressions, so he was not any longer able to think about who he was or what they were just doing. Besides he had the sense of having to make up something, as back then he just had followed Law's order without reflecting sufficiently about the consequences and had put them both, but especially Law in this unpleasant situation.  
His plan seemed to work better than assumed. He noticed the other one responding unexpectedly to the kiss. Even though he did it only faintly. In doing so he did not let the slightly bitter taste on the slender lips of the younger slip. But who wondered that the lips of someone who frequently consumed ten or more cups of coffee a day had this aftertaste? At least it did not disturb him, even if he was no big coffee drinker. Too bad for one's health, thought Penguin.  
His fingers appeared between their body fronts and reached the button of Law's jeans, which they, as well as the zipper, opened leisurely and without looking. Probably Law also failed to hear the thereby accruing sound. Because again Penguin diverted him when now kissed from his mouth over his cheek up to his ear, which he had not gave of himself to yet. His tongue briefly explored the gap between his earrings, then also traced once the outer edge of his auricle on this side and hit the trail back afterwards. Past his left sideburn across his under-jaw to his little goatee. He noticed Law putting his head back slightly. Hard to say if he did so wittingly or unwittingly. But that he was doing so was a sufficient confirmation to Penguin that he was doing the dead right.  
Overcame by all those new attractions, it was difficult for Law to stay clear-headed. Instead unnoticed his instincts took the lead and told him what he should do so that he did not turn into stone and stand there motionless like before.  
A quite lovely sigh, which Penguin perceived to his satisfaction, escaped his lips as his body started to give in to the kisses and touches of his counterpart. And although Penguin's lips did not touch his for awhile already, he let his eyes closed. Law did not know why he did this. Did he wait for him to kiss him again? Even though this action appeared unnecessary for him and did not bring them any further with their proper intentions, he could not quite deny that after a moment's hesitation against all expectations he had still liked it.  
"Do it again!" he dictated Penguin at that, just to make sure that he felt uncomfortable at doing this.  
A part of him simply could not accept that he appreciated something ordinary like a kiss. In his eyes it was silly as he just wanted to have pure sex to satisfy his needs. Such an exchange of affection had either never been important during his previous flings with women. He just did as much as it was necessary, not further.  
Admired by Law's sudden prompt Penguin paused and pulled his head back so he could again eye the younger's face.  
"What?" At this questions Law opened his eyes wide again with an expectant regard.  
"Kiss me once more!" The direct order surprised the older, but finally it raised a smile on his face before he silently closed his eyes again and met Law's wish.  
"With pleasure," crossed Penguin's mind.  
Again first of all he tasted the flavor of coffee, but he was still not bothered by it. Too much he enjoyed to kiss his opposite than due to that refrain from doing this. And once again he initiated to move his lips against Law's, while he secretly hoped that the younger would do the same. And so it was.  
With it Law unleashed only more craving in his counterpart. "Damn it, I would have done a mistake again if I had left. I just want to sleep with him again."  
Penguin had to smirk a bit. During this his hand went into Law's jeans, brushed slightly the hard bulge beneath the boxers' fabric and educed again a low-voiced sigh from the younger. But there was something he disliked: Law's hands were to inactive again. Therefore he moved his hand from his head's back, grasped one of Law's and guided it unerringly and undeterred by the short snarl which Law made to his crotch. Despite this acoustic opposition the surgeon moved his slim fingers almost for himself into the white overall and on the also perceptible, hidden by a last layer of fabric erection of the other. A cozy and satisfied mutter arose by Penguin, while his hand returned to Law's back of his head and his second hand massaged a bit the other's manhood during holding on to the kiss.  
The older realized the discrete dampness of the boxers of his opposite, which gave evidence of his high state of arousal.  
Law was aware of that. Nevertheless he did not feel ashamed in the slightest for it. Instead his desire getting touched by his counterpart increased more than ever. What the other did there felt just too good to dislike it. And also vice versa he wanted to take a hold of him even more and to explore his body. This what he had found was a waste during their first time, he wanted to do it now all the more. And so he was the first one who was not content with it to feel the cock of the other only through the underwear, and let his hand slide into it. Afresh a clearly keen pant inside the kiss was heard on his part, when he touched the hot glans of the other for the first time.  
Penguin reacted in the same manner and undid the kiss unwillingly.  
He guided his mouth to Law's right ear and whispered letting out a hot breath against it. "Oh yes, that's good."  
A plain grin flashed now over the lips of the younger, who with his eyes shut felt further what he had only sensed in his lower abdomen before. This dark voice closely to his ear pleased him very well. Law's worry vanished suddenly. There were only curiosity and agitation inside him, which instructed him downright to stroke the hard shaft gently with his fingertips up and down.  
Penguin appreciated his abrupt activity. From where exactly it came all at once did not matter to him. He only took an interest in it that it would stay that way and enjoy to feel the skillful surgeon's hands on his skin. Again he fondled his outer ear with the tip of his tongue, whereas he grabbed with both hands at the waistband of Law's pants and pulled them down. To undress the tight jeans completely he had to take the loss of Law's hand slipping out of his boxers. He kissed his carotid alongside down over his smooth chest and stomach at which point he crouched down further and Law's hand did not reach his crotch any longer.  
The other observed him and gasped again minimally when Penguin unexpected sucked his dick a bit through the boxers with his mouth, while putting of his pants. The lascivious glance, which he threw up to him by doing this, aroused the younger even more.  
"Shit, this so hot." But he let this unspoken and got mutely out of his trousers.  
His opposite bobbed up again and focused him longing for more, "Go! Lie down!"  
Without hesitation or thinking about the fact that he was ordering him around, Law did even that and made himself comfortable on the bed. He only moved backwards at it and kept his eyes glued to Penguin.  
The view how he was now lying in front of him on his back with the dark, wet stain on his boxers, wherein his erection clearly loomed, turned the still standing one incredibly on. And he felt his penis tip got moistened by a drop of precum as well.  
"Oh my god, how I'd like to fuck him instantly." But what his instincts wanted and what his brain told him to do, were two different things. He followed the latter, doffed the rest of his jumpsuit, let it fall down to the floor next to the other clothes and knelt himself on the bed. At it the half emptied coffee mug next to the books on the nightstand caught his eye for the first time.  
"And this so late at night. At least this explains why he's smacking of coffee so much." He smirked briefly.  
Law inspected him from top to bottom as he approached him and laid down beside him on his side but also half above him, although continuing to support himself on his right arm. In the course of this Law noticed even more the obvious exercised form of his upper arm and how his muscles constricted once he strained them. Again it shuddered inside Law at the sight of it.  
Once more Penguin kissed him, asking himself how he survived the last time without touching these tender lips. And anew he could feel those slim hands as they were stroking along his abs this time, obviously again on the way to his body's center. Inside this amused Penguin: Apparently Law had been taken by his cock. He had not any objections about this though. He move a bit more onto him, taking care of not shifting his entire weight on the one under himself, shoved one leg between those of the younger and searched with his left hand for his right nipple. He remembered too well how sensitive he was at this body side. And this stuck correctly in his memory.  
"Mmmh," escaped directly from Law's mouth into the kiss, as soon as Penguin had located it and started to circle it with his fingers.  
He returned that sound when the other again found the way into his boxers and now stroked his cock a bit tighter.  
"Pull it off!" he now whispered temptingly against his lips.  
Law did not hesitate a single second, sat a little up together with Penguin and shoved the dark blue pants over his hips. The older briefly moved his legs out of it, took it from Law's hand and threw it off the bed carelessly.  
Meanwhile the eye of the other, who now was lying there supported on his forearms, was fixed on his erected penis, which pointed towards him requiring.  
"It's so big," were the same thoughts like last time that came up into Law's head at this sight and once more he felt incredible hot again. "It turns me on so much, although my ass will hurt again afterwards."  
The last thought was not enough to make him doubt again though. His lust was too predominant. Therefore his hand moved again to the hard dick and covered it this time - much to Penguin's joy. But he also realized that this touch made it difficult for him to hold back much longer. But as he did not want to make the same inpatient mistake like last time and harm Law unnecessarily, he now moved further down.  
Penguin approved that the younger was not amused about the fact that his arm was again too short to continue his doing and that he expressed this anew growling. In consideration he placed his mouth on his chest and revolved the second dark nipple with his tongue, until it also became hard like the other already was. He nibbled a bit at it and caressed the other one with two fingers. Law moaned once more unmistakable. And immediately once again when Penguin pressed his thigh against his crotch.  
"It's weird. I always found that stuff so useless and annoying," Law noticed for himself, "but now I could go on with it for hours."  
The younger wanted to do something else much more though. He witnessed Penguin moving deeper and grasping his boxers to put it off. A stream of excitement overcame the young doctor. There was no more trace of nervousness. The older took the grey garment off his legs and threw it down on the floor, before he came up again sliding with both hands over Law's leg, between which he was sitting now. Again it felt odd to lie in front of him with spread legs and had made the younger anew feeling uncomfortable if there had not been the sight at this well-shaped, muscular torso, which took his mind off and kept up his sexual tension.  
Law bit a little on his underlip when his hands reached his loins and aimed for his erection. Now it were Penguin's fingers that stroked his shaft. He closed one hand around it and began to lap around his reddish, wet tip. Once more a sound of arousal left Law's lips. Only when the older moved his free hand to his own mouth and led the first and middle finger in it, a streak of unrest returned inside him. Law pegged his hands to the bed sheet. The other did not miss this.  
Therefore he smiled still massaging his penis, "Keep calm, Law."  
The warmth and gentleness he used to say this and the glance, which he brought with it, really softened the caused waves inside him. His mouth slightly opened took a deep breath when the damp fingers touched his hole and started to make circum-movements on it.  
"Close your eyes!" came from his counterpart.  
"Why?" Just doing what he was told to do was definitely not easy for Law.  
But Penguin stayed relaxed, "Just do it."  
Law hesitated. He hated not to be able to see what was going to happen next and to cede control with this. How should he back down quickly enough if Penguin would do something he did not want? There were again those dark eyes though, which told him just to follow the order. Still a bit unwilling he did so.  
Satisfied the other eyed him whereat he continued his hand's moves steadily.  
And exactly this was what Law now discerned much more intensively, as he noted for himself and which suddenly expressed in a subtle sigh. Once more a small drop leaked from his penis' tip. Penguin's thumb wiped it away instantly.  
"Ha!" A far louder moan escaped him as he felt a finger being slide inside him.  
Yet it was no sound of distress. Only sheer passion.  
The same Penguin was aware of too and moved his finger a few times slowly back and forth keeping Law's reaction in view as well. It heated his own libido only further to see him like that. Preferably he would have attacked him like a beast immediately.  
Again he restricted himself in his own thoughts, "Get a hold of yourself, Peng!"  
"Hgh!" A brief, agonized sounding noise could be heard by Law when the older added his second finger to the first.  
Caring Penguin watched the other's face, "Does it hurt?"  
Against expectation Law wagged his head with still closed eyes though and panted. "No, I just haven't seen that coming now."  
Law's voice got less noisy while speaking because he was a little ashamed of his reaction. And also due to the fact that he stretched the truth. It had hurt a bit. But again he was too good in leading his opposite to the wrong way.  
Nevertheless Penguin advised him, "Try to relax furthermore."  
With that he lured out a little of Law's inner bitch once more, "What do you think I'm doing here? It's not that easy if you know all along that someone's going to shove his not quite small pipe in your ass! Most of all not when your head is also totally against it."  
Penguin masked ably that this response inside him gave rise on one side to a whisp of disapproval towards Law's returning bitchiness but also on the other hand to amusement about this statement. However he read between the lines as well that he had caused him a bit of pain.  
But since it did not seem to be too bad Penguin budged his finger anew.  
Once more Law groaned sensually and let himself surprisingly fall back on the cushion after a few more times of penetration. His breath was hasty and Penguin watched how his thorax clearly lifted and lowered again. He chuckled.  
"If only he had let me do this already the last time. Pighead." He let a bit saliva from his mouth drip on his fingers closely to Law's hole to make it further on comfortable for him and pushed them back inside. This time as deep as possible. A long low groan ringed through the room as he purposefully felt and pressed the area where his prostate was. As well as he spread his fingers and pulled them like that out of him.  
Anew Penguin noticed that a signifier came out of Law's cock. Once more he cleared it, but also pulled his hand away from his penis and instead moved to his testicular to massage it now. He wanted to prepare him, but not to get him to his climax like that.  
Law took less notice of it. He was by now draped in pure ecstasis. No matter where or how Penguin even touched him: He liked it. Again he felt the stretching by his fingers. However all they brought with it was just more excitement and no pain at all. This reflected once again in a moan.

He continued his activity for a little while. Indeed with every single second it became harder for him to resist. His own glans was also completely moist by now and glinted in the weak bedside lamp's light. Everything inside him demanded for substituting his fingers by his best part. As Law was lying in front of him and let loose one sound of lust after another was just too thrilling. Due to that also Penguin, who could be really firm, reached a point at which his greed and craving won.  
"Let's have a go," he thought, let his finger slide out of him and moistened this time his palm with some spit, before he spread it on his still dry penis' shaft.  
He supported himself on his hands next to Law's head and looked in his face. As expected he opened his eyes a bit, well knowing what was his point.  
"Tuck up my legs, right?" Annoyed he remembered this part of the coitus.  
Penguin smirked, "You don't have to do so."  
Law was just still admiring when Penguin sat up again a little bit, came closer, grasped Law's hips and pulled it up onto his thighs before he took his legs and laid them over his shoulders so that his lower abdomen tilted up. That this pose caused again a red cast around the younger's nose did not really disrupt him. On the contrary he perceived him again as incredibly cute, but that he kept to himself for good reason.  
And although he quarreled with himself somewhat how he should see this position, the one lying underneath took it without a word. As long as he did not turn him around he could come to terms with it.  
He focused Penguin's face as he felt his tip already pushing against his muscle and in the next moment slowly and smoothly penetrating him. There was the ache again. And anew it was reflected in his expression.  
Penguin stopped his movement: "Does it hurt too much?"  
"No." Law breathed deeply once in and out again.  
It did not hurt by far as much as the last time.  
The older leaned a bit forward and as a result pressed Law's legs more down to himself. Thereby he thrusted further inside.  
"Fuck," now a silent sound of pain escaped from the younger.  
The more the other's penis got into his anus the more he could feel a dragging pain, which hurt his whole body. He turned his head to his right so Penguin could not see his facial expression. The last thing he wanted was the other to interrupt the entire activity.  
"Don't lie to me, Law. If it hurts, you shall tell me! Don't forget we're still playing by my rules," Penguin intimated it once more to him and beheld him keenly.  
He knew that it was actually impossible to do this here completely without causing any harm to Law. For this he was just too inexperienced and his body not used to it. Nevertheless Penguin got into this game. It was hard for him to control himself but to make both of them enjoying the sex, he had to wangle it somehow and repress himself to turn the other's indisposition as low as possible.  
A bit bugged Law turned his head back and eyed the other vigorously, "You really think that such ridiculous pains can stop me to go through with this, don't you?"  
Penguin smiled to his surprise, "No and I'm afraid it won't be really free of pain the second time either. As much as I want to get it right."  
"Sure not. How anyway? For my butt it's still foreign. After all he isn't anatomical made for it," there the doctor obviously spoke out of Law. "You can still continue. When it's getting too much, I'll make my presence felt."  
"Okay. I rely on this." Penguin leaned himself further forward, pushed Law's thighs closer to the mattress by doing so, moved himself slowly furthermore inside him and laid his lips on the younger's.  
"Yeah, I'll say something… or use my devil fruit powers." Penguin did not suspect that Law was also considering this option.  
A gasp absconded his lips. That moment the older could not resist. He took advantage of that and shoved his tongue in Law's mouth whereat he noticed an even stronger taste of coffee. Surprised the surgeon opened his eyes widely. Just this moment there had only been that weird and strange feeling of his rectum being stretched massively and cause him a lot of pain. Again Penguin succeeded at directing his attention to something else though. Anyway this time Law did not think at all of attempting to do anything against the foreign tongue in his mouth. Instead his eyes fell shut slowly again and his own tongue started to play halting around the other.  
Contented Penguin smiled in the kiss and halted his hips' moves. It was as well exciting for him to kiss the other like this. Besides he wanted to give Law the time to get used to what their pelves were doing. Meanwhile he now explored curiously his mouth.  
"Mmmmh!" A sustained sound escaped the younger as Penguin finally pushed further inside him.  
Abrupt he paused again and broke the kiss, "I'm sorry."  
Law struggled just now with his sensation of pain and tightly pinched the bed sheets.  
The next moment however he sensed something what displeased him entirely and he teared his eyes open once more, "Hey, what are you doing there?"  
Penguin observed him calmly, while slowly he started to pull out out of him, "I think I'm hurting you too much."  
Certainly he stopped as Law's eyebrow dangerously moved in together to the center of his face, "I have already said it I'll tell if it's getting too much! I want to pull this through. Just continue to do it steady!"  
The other had to laugh slightly. He seemed so cute again flustering about it somewhat.  
"Don't furrow your brow like this. Otherwise it might remain like this," he smiled.  
No, he really did not want to see any wrinkles on this pretty face. The dark eye circles were already enough.  
But although Law was too vain as he would be alright with this, he snarled once more, "You don't have to give a damn shit!"  
Still smirking Penguin sighed again, "Well yeah, I don't."  
"So. Just go on." Law's voice fainted again while speaking and turned his head to the side anew.  
The older wrangled again with himself. Once more he let him dictate to hurt him. That had not been the plan. Anxious for not moving his penis deeper inside him, he bent again down to his face and kissed Law on his temple. A gesture Law did not know how to handle - even fewer than with the whole situation.  
"Stop it!" the one at the bottom sizzled. "Don't treat me like a little child! You don't have to console me."  
Penguin's expression went sad. Silently he focused Law as he gazed in silence and with a serious mien through the room towards the desk. But behind this sober face, he thought to see something completely else: vulnerability.  
Vulnerability which the younger did not want to let show. Vulnerability with of he had already made the acquaintance in a painful way. Everybody on board knew that their captain had witnessed some dark hours in his young life. Although he never talked about it, there were a lot of signs for this.  
A moment Penguin kept quiet. He did not want to be untactful. Only after a very short time he rose to speak.  
"Law," he talked softly to him, "we had an agreement."  
The addressed one did not miss the disappointed undertone of Penguin's voice and recalled what he had promised him. Moreover he already regretted rounding upon him.  
"I'm… sorry," silently Law muttered these words.  
But Penguin was surprised that he said them at all. He had not seen this apology of the other coming.  
"It's alright," responded his counterpart. "I leave it to you if I shall continue. I really don't want to cause you too much pain. And when I see how much it hurts you, it hurts me as well."  
Law's eyes widened. Unhasty he turned his head back and got a load of Penguin's face directly above him. It did hurt him? He had by now understood how he meant it. But why? Law's glance lowered and went to Penguin's neck.  
"I want to go on. I think when you're once completely inside it will be fine. It was like that I think the last time also. It…," again Law got red, "...pleases me too well to burst it off."  
Anew he made the older smile. Now he led his hands to Law's head, while he was still supporting himself on his lower arms, and stroked smoothly through his hair.  
"I make every effort that you'll like it even more. Promise!" With this he kissed him once more.  
With half-closed eyes the doctor looked at the face above himself. Penguin could be so incredible gentle. Again he let his eyes fell closed and opened his mouth instead. Once again he wanted to feel the other's tongue. And exactly this favour was what he did him and got himself into their tongues' play. Law tried to concentrate on this with all his might to dismiss the pain which increased again when Penguin pushed his hips forward anew. And he succeeded. This, what happened in his mouth, clouded his mind.  
"If he's always that good with his tongue, then sure he's also good with it at other body parts." With a grin in the corners of his mouth, this thought went through Law's head.  
Suddenly it was Penguin who let out a deep moan: He had done it. He had penetrated Law entirely. Like the last time he enjoyed his hot, narrow walls surrounded his cock.  
He loosened the kiss and beheld Law, "Is it okay?"  
Surprisingly Law's face, with the slightly opened mouth and the closed eyes, seemed distinctly relaxed.  
"Mhm," came as a quite confirmation before he opened one eye and smirked a little, "I've told you I'll stand such a little pain easily."  
And he was proved right: As soon as Penguin was completely inside him it subsided as now he was able to unbend more.  
His grin got broader, "You can go ahead."  
A brief, mocking wheeze was the reply, "Got it."  
Penguin knew that Law was just acting though. Probably the worst was over but for sure he was not completely pain free. Therefore he just started to move very slowly and carefully back again, just to shove himself with a gentle push inside him anew. At this his eyes laid permanently on Law's face to check his reaction. However he looked back calmly until with one of Penguin's movements a recurring gasp left his throat.  
And this soft gasp became bit by bit a lustful moan, while Law finally closed his eyes again and Penguin by depress improved the intensity.  
"Oh yes, it feels good," Law found out for himself anew, "too good."  
The ache faded far into the background again. Each thrust aroused him further. This did not pass Penguin, who was now more than eased. Satisfied he witnessed how the younger escaped one sound of delight after the other. And also his own pulse got faster. And beneath his breath every now and then sounds of pleasure mixed.  
"Fuck, yes!" It had happened again. Penguin had found those point which wormed this cry out of Law.  
The younger laid his head back. The first beads of perspiration covered his skin. The other could not resist bend down to his neck and licked them away. The salty taste boosted his own ecstasis further.  
"You're feeling so good. So nicely tight," he moaned without thinking about his words.  
But that were his true feelings, which he noticed with each friction on his member.  
Law had to grin again and responded breathing heavily, "Great, I would like it more if I wasn't so tight."  
That he did not really mean it like this and did not fight against the pain any longer was clearly heard in his voice. So Penguin's lips were once again shaped by a smile, before they kissed back to his chin, where his small goatee tickled him, and Law moved his head forward to push his lips on the ones of his opposite again.  
Penguin was only too pleased to this whereat on both sides again and again an ecstatic sound mixed within the kiss. Especially Law got louder and more untamed. Some when his right hand grasped Penguin's left upper arm and clamped on it, not being bothered about the sweaty skin beneath it.  
Time after time the older aimed for the sensitive spot educing a more and more intense moan, which became so strong that Law was forced to quit the kiss. He pressed his fingertips tighter around the arm of his lover and onto the bed sheet beneath himself. Particularly when Penguin's right hand made its way to his penis and started to massage it in strict time with his now pretty fast lumbar moves.  
The older had never thought to see this incredibly arousing sight underneath himself once more. And he like it even much more this time. This detachedness, which Law was suddenly showing, was more than simple satisfaction. It just excited him more how he started to breath more and more heavily and held fast onto him. As hard as it was, Penguin tried to keep his eyes open: He did not want to miss a second of what was happening under him.  
In particular not the moment when Law, after quite a few thrusts, lifted his head and shoulders, strained his whole body from the face to the toes and found his climax with a deep breath paired up with a moan.  
Some more times Penguin bumped into him, stroked a bit more over his still hard cock to release every drop of the white fluid and then supported himself with his hand again next to Law. This one lowered his upper body entirely back on the pillow breathing fiercely and let his hand slide from Penguin's arm.  
Satisfied the older stopped his moves. This was the result which he had wanted to reach above all: Law lying utterly exhausted under him and, at least for the moment, without any more energy to worry his brain about anything.  
He had decided for himself to finish the whole with this though. He did not want to be that insolent, as he thought it was, and just come inside him. But when he wanted to move out of the doctor again he opened his eyes unexpected.  
"Why have you stopped?" This time there was confusion in Law's facial expression.  
Penguin raised one brow, glanced at the semen which was spread over Law's entire stomach, and back in his face, "What else do you want but to cum?"  
"You to cum as well?" Penguin's eyes widened with this sudden answer.  
Now he was the one who blushed a little, "But not again inside you. The last time…"  
"Yeah, the last time! I was boozy." Law knew very well that he was up to how he had acted afterwards.  
"Law, I don't mind." Penguin nodded towards the paper towels on the bed table.  
The other did not accept this though, "Don't tell me bullshit. Every guy minds if he has to fap in paper. Besides I don't do things by halves as you should know."  
Stunned but also a bit amused the older looked at him, bent himself once more over him and moved his head to his ear, "Thanks."  
That this caused a smile on law lips, he could not see. Therefore he could hear the renewed gasp when he thrusted again into him. Penguin remained in his posture while he recommenced his rhythmic, fast moves once more. He did not care about that the marks of Law's orgasm now also stuck to him - not at all. He just felt like being close to this man, who got lost in his sounds of lust anew, while the prickling in his own stomach increased, his heartbeat did speed up further more and he finally found his release too - inside Law.

Heavily breathing they laid there. Quickly Penguin let Law's legs down. Apart from that they stayed motionless. Their chests bounced thanks to their unsteady breath from time to time softly against each other.  
It was different than the last time. Better. Penguin felt it. He smiled and pushed himself slowly up, hoping that he would see these feelings also in Law's face. Though the view underneath him let the corner of his mouth sink stunned. Law laid again with his head to the side there. Anew he stared seriously and aimlessly into space.  
What was the matter? Did he not even a bit bask in the euphoria about what they had experienced just now?  
"Law?" Gently and quietly he spoke to him with the hope that the younger after all felt nearly as him.  
But the answer should not please him.  
"Please go," he uttered calmly and monotonously.  
Penguin's own rapture vanished abruptly. Next to his seriousness he saw again that vulnerability and also a wisp of sadness. At least it seemed like this to him.  
He wanted to move his hand to Law's head, this one repeated his order gravely though when he envisaged the hand from the corner of his eye, "You shall go!"  
The other stopped before he pulled his hand back and also looked sad aside at the white bed sheet and at Law's left hand, which still slightly embraced it. The word "death", as it was written strikingly in upper-case letters on his fingers, just stuck unwanted sharply to his mind. It was one of those outside visible signs which testified the shadows of Law's past and prompted a lot of questions.  
But had it not just appeared all so perfect? What was suddenly going on in his counterpart's head? What was there inside that was so strong and awful that it could obviously ruin every positive feeling within seconds?  
But Penguin knew after all the time with Law at sea just too well that it made nearly no sense to talk to him now and wanting to find out more. Just as well he felt that he would not allow to touch him any further. Grumpy he pushed himself up completely, moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. He watched Law how he merely closed his legs and otherwise laid there unchanged. Sighing he started to dress himself again.  
With one of the paper tissues he cleaned his torso, but let the upper part of his overall and his top undressed. He had to shower first anyway before he could continue his night watch. In the end he took his hat, which still laid on the edge of the bed to the foot end.  
"But there is nothing that hurts, right?" he wanted to know before leaving.  
"No. Go!" Again Penguin sighed unsatisfied.  
Probably it was better to leave Law on his own for a while. Hopefully it would not proceed the next day like it did before. He stroked through his own hair once more, put his hat back on and left the room with a last desperate glance at the younger.  
The captain of the Heart Pirates set aside, as soon as he heard the door snap shut behind the other, and tucked up his legs. He turned his back towards the door - and with it the longitudinal, clearly visible scar beneath his scapulae.


	6. Desire

**Chapter VI - Desire**

The Death, the Heart Pirates' yellow submarine, swayed distinctly due to the sea, which had became more unsettled. The night sky had clouded over and was covered by black rain clouds, which even did not let get the moon shine through.  
A single raindrop landed on the white ship's rail directly between Penguin's hands, which were firmly embracing the cold steel. He was standing here for a while already and peered aimless into the dark, while the strong wind this night signified a tempest and made the black flag high up at the mainmast flapping hearablely.  
"I'm such a fool," the effervescing wind smothered his silent cursing, "how could I think I'd be able to change anything? I shouldn't have came to it a second time. I've made it all even worse."  
Since he had left Law's cabin, he was already damning himself for what just had happen between him and his captain anew, and he wondered what he was blundered into. Obviously he had closed up more to him than he had intended. Both under the shower, which he had earlier, and also here outside on deck, the image of Law was always in his mind, how he had been lying there underneath him: Motionless. Vulnerable. Sorrowful.  
That had not been what Penguin had reached for. He had really hoped the other would feel better afterwards. But instead it seemed as he just had pushed the surgeon further into his withdrawn, probably quite dark world of thought.  
"I knew that sleeping with me was a problem to him. Why then did I do it again? Why have I been so stupid? Pretty sure now he hates himself even more."  
Penguin pulled his hat deeper when a drop fell on his nose.  
He shivered briefly. It was cold. But above all the shivering was due to the fact that he was tired. He just was not made for being up all night long and compensate this by sleeping at daytime. Therefore he had only slept four to five hours on average during the last nights. And in addition that he just had had sex, which had exhausted him furthermore. He sighed. Actually he had just wanted to talk to Law to clear the situation and to get rid of that damn guard duty. But now everything had become much worse and that ridiculous punishment appeared to him as his slightest problem.

The young pirate went back into the ship. It was silent here, compared with the outside where the rising storm got distinctly more intensive. Nevertheless you could hear the waves striking against the massive steel walls. Something was clacking or creaking in patches because of the ship's movements. However Penguin's ears were used to such sounds so he did not really perceive them. The machines were not working, since they had set sail. Probably everyone was asleep, except himself and Jean Bart, who was on the bridge controlling the submarine at the moment.  
"No, I'm sure he doesn't sleep either," Penguin considered while he was heading for the galley, "quite sure not. Shit!"  
Stealing his captain the sleep, which was rare for him anyway, was the last he wanted.  
A bit sleepy he entered the gallery. But he was awake again abruptly, which was not due the door, that snap shut too loud at this late hour. Apart from him there was someone else.  
Law was standing at the counter and was apparently just brewing coffee when he turned his head around.  
"Don't let the door slam like this!" What actually should had been a reproach, passed very evenly the doctor's lips, who immediately turned back to the coffee machine, as if it was the most interesting thing to observe how it was doing its work.  
Penguin was aware that he actually did not want to look at him again.  
"Sorry. I didn't mean to." Nevertheless Penguin tried to keep calm.  
"What are you doing here?" was Law's sober question, as he was not used to it and did not expect to meet someone here that late, while he was often here so late.  
Of course as this was the only place that offered supplies of coffee. And this was what he needed now more than ever before.  
Penguin remained near the door, "I was going to drink some coffee, too."  
He did not want to admit directly how much the night watch was draining him of strength.  
A brief, mocking laugh came from his captain, "Are you not the one who always says it was unhealthy?"  
"Sure, consumed in such rough mass like you do… Captain," the delayed adhered titel made the sobriety come back to Law's expression, while he was still fixed on the machine in front of him.  
He snarled, "That's got…"  
But Penguin cut him short sighing, "...nothing to do with me how much coffee you drink. I know."  
Law confirmed this, "Exactly."  
At that he indeed also noticed due to his echoing steps that Penguin was coming closer a little, but was at least not bothered about it on the surface.  
"But I DO care! Also like I care about everything else, which you don't want me to care about. And likewise the others care. Your health is indifferent to none of us," his voice faded away while speaking, "as well as your general welfare."  
Now, where he had come closer, Law's wet hair caught Penguin's eye and pointed out that he also had had a shower by now. Reasonable, as he would have only unlikely slipped on his clothes, which he was wearing now, as Penguin had left him.  
"You should go to sleep. You're just talking trash!" Anew Law did not face him.  
"My night watch isn't over yet," the other one responded while standing only two meters behind him.  
"It is!" it came distinctly and a bit furiously from his captain. "I'll stay awake anyway."  
Penguin looked away. That Law would not sleep like he often did, he had already feared. Once more he regretted that he did not remain steadfast.  
"I'm sorry. I just should not have done that," he expressed glumly, "I know how you're feeling."  
Law thumped the mug, which had just filled with freshly brewed coffee, on the worktop, whereat some of the content sloshed over his hand, and sizzled angrily but silently, as if he was afraid to be heard by a third person, "No, you don't! You… are not the captain who spreads his leg for one of his men. You can't reconcile these things!"  
Penguin was just about to answer when he realized that Law was doing nothing about the hot coffee, which had just run over the back of his hand. Perplexed he bridged the distance between them, grasped Law's hand and held it under the running faucet at the sink next to him.  
"No reason to hurt yourself," he said resigning, while he was still not letting go of his arm and observed the cold water running down his tattoos.  
Surprised by this sudden action Law also starred at his hand. It was just like that moment when he had kissed him for the first time: He wanted to fight against it and pull his arm back to prohibit the body contact. Something restrained him from doing so though and left it where it was - in the clutch of the other, who was still cooling caringly his hand. His focus went back up at Penguin's face. It seemed unusual tired. Now he even realized dark shadows under his eyes, which usually only he had, although those of his counterpart were only slightly distinct and would surely go away as soon as he got more sleep.  
"I ask too much of him. He isn't a night person and I do know that," crossed Law's mind.  
But he also registered the worried expression in Penguin's eyes, which stared at him at the same time as well.  
"And hadn't we said that this just now did not happen between you as a captain and me as one of your men but rather between two humans?" Law looked away upon this question anew.  
"It isn't… so easy," he admired subdued in the end.  
Once more Penguin sighed. No, it was obviously not like that. He had understood by now that inside of Law were much shadowy and abstruse thoughts and feelings, which quarrelled with him to an extent with all this and mostly with himself. He seemed to see himself still as weak, because he had had passive sex with him and had enjoyed it. And this even now the second time. Likely much more depressed him though.  
"If I say to you that you shall speak about it, you turn a deaf ear to it again, right?" Penguin wanted at least to try to make him talk, even though he guessed that it would be pointless.  
Law withdraw his hand from his grip and wrapped it in the dishtowel, which laid beside the sink, before he confirmed his assumption, "Right. There is nothing to talk about. Go to sleep now!"  
Penguin knew if he was just half as tired as it was currently the case, he had not accepted this rejection so easily. It already burdened him too much what was behind the steel blue eyes, which only stared numbly at the wrapped hand. By now he felt too massively involved into his matter as that he could tolerate the aloofness of the other any further. Nevertheless for the moment his tiredness and exhaustion forced him to leave it at that.  
He turned around to go, "A storm is coming."  
"I know," was Law's unemotional answer.  
Of course he was aware of this. He was not unfoundedly the captain. Particularly as also the coffee, which wavered a little stronger inside the mug and the pot, was revealing about the sea's turmoil and which you could also feel clearly within the ship.  
"I'm going to met Jean Bart soon at the bridge and to give the order for diving." This was more information than the older had expected that moment.  
"In this case shouldn't I better go and have a look at the machines?" Penguin darted a glance back to him, still standing next to the door.  
Law knew why he said this: Compared with Penguin and most of the other crew members he had less understanding of mechanics and could in case of any problems within the engine room not do much or better say do anything. And everything depended on the machines if they were diving. Even only the sail were normally automatically taken in and set at the touch of a button. Not to mention the engine and any further control of the ship.  
However he stuck to his view and asked him grimly, "How often did they make any trouble so far?"  
His counterpart knew the correct answer to this question, "As good as never."  
"See? Now go to sleep! If anything happens, I can still get you out of your beds." Law turned around again.  
The older focused once more silently the back of his sweater and wished in this moment that his captain had had just half as much trust in his crew as in his ship. At least he had not had it when it was about things, which considered his self. In the end the machines only worked proper, because his crew did a good job at all times. Leastways he trusted in this point in his men. But that was not enough - it was not enough for him, Penguin. Not anymore.  
"Oh yeah, Penguin! Only to make it clear," the addressed one remained in his movement, in which he wanted to open the door just now, as Law stopped him with a sharp undertone, which endured no talking back, "this won't become a habit. This was once for all the last time!"  
Without looking at him once more, the older pressed down the handle before he answered evenly likewise, "Aye, Captain!"  
Cautious about closing the door more quietly this time and wondering inside if he would ever be able to change anything about Law's distanced behaviour, he left the room and with it his captain involuntary alone anew.

\- flashback end -

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" The unknown voice of a woman got Penguin out of his chain of thought.  
He looked to the side. A brunette beauty, who had put her upper arms on his shoulder and penetratingly eyed him with a seductive look, was standing beside him. But again he felt absolutely no interest to response to this clumsy flirtation.  
Therefore he faced the opposed direction and moreover averted his upper body, "Nothing."  
His refusing attitude did not fail the desired effect. With a snippy sound she went away. Penguin pulled the hat out of his trousers pocket and took a look at the logo with his name for a moment. From one evening to the other he felt less urge to get involved with someone foreign - no matter if it was a man or a woman. And he knew very well why it was like that.  
Law had broken his own words and had awfully well let it become a habit what they had initially done a few weeks ago.  
It had been only a few evenings after that night in which they had met in the galley. Penguin remembered it just too well how his captain had been with them in a bar as this one this evening again. He had sat at the counter as well as today. Unfortunately he had not been able to stop gazing repeatedly without attracting attention to his captain, who had set down with a few other crew members at one of the tables. The whole time Penguin had had the feeling this observation had been one-sided. But suddenly it had been there: This piercing glance out of the corner of the surgeon's eye. This glance which had spoken volumes and had been so lasciviously and demanding that Penguin had primarily assumed he had only imagined it because of his half drunk state. In the end he had followed Law, after he had left a few seconds later without an obvious reason and after a little hesitation, anyhow.  
"I already thought you won't come," had been Law's words, which to his wonder he had uttered to him as he had gone to his cabin.  
No matter how much he had been reluctant: Again he had given in to the temptation. He had remembered his captain of his words, Law had loudly explained though that in his opinion trying to stifle his desire was senseless. Therefore it had finally happened again. And anew Law's ecstasis had been as fast gone as it had come and he had thrown him out.  
Also this time Penguin had excoriated himself, at least for a moment, because he had not been able to resist once more. But one thing had changed: Law did not speak anymore of not doing it again or even hating it. To the contrary, before the had done it he had told him he was going to do it more often. Until the present day Penguin was not sure, but the doctor's slightly embarrassed expression aside, when he had unfolded this, had conveyed the impression that himself assumed it to be relaxing. Just one condition: No word to anybody! A tradeoff which the older could easily come to terms with. Because the certainty that he was at least doing something temporarily good to his captain and the hope to get him out of his world of thought one day was it more than worth. And therefore he let himself furthermore in for it and had always followed Law's recurring glance, which only he understood.  
Much to the disgust of Penguin he had not been able to change anything about Law's attitude though. He remained impersonal in all other points. Instead Penguin did not notice for the first time that he was changing himself. He felt clearly how he got meanwhile more and more and almost only attracted by his captain. That had not been the plan.  
Once more he faced the table at which some of his fellows were sitting and having fun. His eyes searched unawarely for that glance of the doctor, but he was not around.  
A sigh left his lips when he perceived anew a woman at the other side of the room brought him into focus. Without thinking too much he put his hat on which immediately fulfilled his in intention to destroy his appeal, so that the lady looked around elsewhere.  
He did not realize that Shachi was also watching him the whole time. Only when he suddenly jumped up from his barstool, he looked at him from under his yellow visor.  
"That just can't be true," he snarled at him from the side, "you're already becoming like him!"  
The older looked back confused, "What?"  
"You despite every woman no matter how beautiful she is." Shachi flashed at him angrily.  
Penguin's eyes darted unsettled through the room. Despite the immense noise level, it appeared to him as if his friend was speaking so loudly that everyone could hear it. And that was of course not what he wanted. Indeed some crew mates but also foreigners turned around towards them.  
"Could you speak quieter?" he hissed into his best friend's direction.  
"No!" he retorted still vociferously, whereat his slightly smell of booze reached the taller one's nose.  
He glimpsed at Shachi's pitcher on the counter. The red-haired must have had drunk far too much once again and he himself had not noticed it because he spaced out within his thoughts. He knew very well though how quickly the younger was losing control of drinking if he was as frustrated as today.  
"Damn, I should have paid more attention," flashed through Penguin's mind before he grasped the other's arm and tugged him to the exit, undeterred by the loud protest of his friend and the strange sights of other guests.  
In passing he heard Ban's laugh, "Looks like our little one has again taken a cup too much."  
Ignoring this he dragged Shachi out of the venue.  
He was still struggling and shooting, "Let go of me!"  
But the stronger actioned this not before they were apart from the bar and other houses where he continued grimly, "Don't make such a noise! We'll go back to the ship now and you will sleep it off there!"  
"Really? And you? Going to get fucked by the captain again?" Shachi's not less unmistakable exclamation made Penguin freeze until he pressed his hand strongly on his mouth.  
"Shut up!" Purposely he did not reply to the question.  
He knew that Shachi thought Penguin was the passive one when he had sex with Law. And he let him to believe that due to the fact he had promised to Law not to speak about it. That the the smaller had gained knowledge about this anyway, had been just achieved because one evening he had pursued them secretly and had even eavesdropped them briefly, after Penguin had followed his captain time-displaced out of a bar. The rest of the crew had probably never paid attention to this. But his best friend had done so. Luckily the walls of the ship were thick so Shachi had not heard through the cabin's door who of both was literally on top. But he had prattled away finally when he had been lying exhausted on his bed a few day later and had made it easy for Penguin to glean that he had had sex with Law. The younger had never been good at concealing things from his older friend.  
"You got it on with the captain?" had been Penguin's sceptical reaction to this as he had not known what to think of the fact that his best friend did this now too.  
Through this Shachi betrayed himself about that he had spied them out. "You're doing it as well!"  
Penguin's heart had dived because he had assured Law that nobody would ever find out about it. But finally he and Shachi had sweared to themselves to keep it as a secret on both sides. And although the latter was not good keeping silent towards him, the raven-haired could be sure that he was towards others. This was one mark of their deep friendship.  
Anyhow they had left it at this point and had not talked anymore about their flings with their captain. Of course the older was interested in how it had could come that his friend had got so close to the surgeon shortly after him. However out of consideration for Law and his promise not to tell anything to anyone, he had not probed any more. Otherwise he should have bewray this as well.  
At least he had picked out that Shachi was contrary to him not the active one. Also this was hard to imagine with him. Anyway he could not stop thinking about if Law was that divorced then too. But to him this seemed odd as well. He did not know though why than he got himself involved with their nestling.  
Generally he was still critical of this affair. After all Shachi was like a little brother to him and inside him probably arose the protective instinct of an older brother when he thought about it. He could not explain himself why it was like this since their was no danger springing from his captain to the younger. Also he was not in the position to prohibit them from doing it.  
Maybe it was also something completely else which was rankling him: jealousy. For a few days now he liked fewer and fewer and without rhyme or reason that he did not have Law all to himself in this regard. But of course he did not. They were not in a relationship. That, what they did, was nothing but a mutual courtesy and his effort of leading Law to more trust and openness.  
Shachi instead had meanwhile painted himself a total different picture of Penguin and his relation to their captain. Indeed he did not know what his friend had set out to do and what was inside his head, but for himself the thing was pretty obvious.  
He slapped his hand away from his mouth. "What? This is what you always do, isn't it?! Where else should you always be all night long and where from should you then come totally exhausted at late hour, which is much too late for you? Do you really think I don't recognize this?"  
Penguin realized that he obviously did. It seemed as the younger had always pretend to be asleep when he had sneaked into their common cabine after having sex with Law and had collapsed drained into bed.  
The taller frowned gravely, "Even if, no reason for you to yell like this. And secondly it is none of your damn business! You don't have to care!"  
He just did not want to talk about it anymore. At the same time he was wondering why Shachi was attacking him for that.  
The smaller turned around offended and tramped away towards the harbour, whereat just one thing was on his mind, "But I do care."  
Again an annoyed moan escaped from the other. Shachi and Law had one thing in common: Both got easily liverish if they were drunken.

"Damn…," a frustrated sound left Law's lips when he came back to reality from his memories of his second time with Penguin and had to ascertain that the mere thought of it did not satisfy him like he had hoped it would.  
His hand was still embracing his stiff member, but stopped instantly its motion and remained in his boxers.  
"...there's no point in doing this." A sigh was hearable by the surgeon.  
Whether he wanted to or not he had to confess himself that, no matter how long he would try it, it would not lead to a positive, satisfying result. Even if he was imagining that it was not his hand, which was stroking up and down his penis, it did only work for a short while. Secretly he craved after him - Penguin. What had he done to him that he had those thoughts very often during the last days? This was not good at all. He forbade himself to have such silly feelings. Such things would weaken him, as he knew very well from his own experience. And weakness was the last thing which he could allow himself.  
Without trying anymore Law withdrew his hand from his pants, let it lay slackly on his thigh and stroke with the fingers of his other hand through his raven hair. He did not pay any more attention to his erected cock, as this problem would sort itself out.  
Instead he briefly eyeballed again the logbook, which was still lying opened in front of him on the desk. He realized that he would not write anything else down today.  
"Better if I read something," Law decided, closed his pants' zipper as well as the button and the belt and stood up.  
He walked over to the bookshelf, which provided a large choice of medical literature, which he had collected on his journey, and grabbed one book purposefully. It had become the surgeon's habit to read each book entirely and to assimilate its content, whereby it happened that he read a book more than once. This was no surprise as his nights were usually short. Although he was a doctor, he was not able to accomplish anything against his own insomnia. Recurring nightmares were torturing him too much - memories from his past.  
He sat down on his bed, put off his shoes, which he placed neatly next to it, pushed one of the cushions at the headboard up and leaned against it with his back. Law opened the lecture and browsed directly to the first page. Instantly he was engrossed in reading that he did not take notice of anything around him. His eyes darted across the pages. But even he did it quickly, he proofread it. Only at times you could hear the quiet sound which occurred when he turned the pages. Apart from that it was completely silent inside the room.  
The doctor was so lost in it, as it distracted him from his own thoughts, that he startled up when he heard a noisy bang.  
"What was that?" Alarmed he laid the book on the night table, swung his legs over the bed's edge and put back on his shoes hurriedly.  
The alarm bells were ringing in his head, as he assumed he was alone on board.  
He got up quickly, grasped rapidly his katana, which was leaning against the wall in one corner of the room, and hied to the door, which he tore open directly.  
Promptly a very well-known voice reached loudly his ears.  
"What is going on there?" Bugged about the disturbed silence he walked away the corridor to his left, turned around the corner and found Penguin, who was knocking energetically on the steel door of his and Shachi's room.

Barely that Shachi had reached their cabin, he slammed the door shut. Penguin, who was walking a few meters behind him, wanted to follow him, but lately he just heard the clicking of the lock from inside.  
"Shachi," he shouted indignantly, while he futilely tried to open the door, "cut the crap and open the door!"  
Yet from the other side came merely a furious answer, "You wanted to go to Law anyway!"  
Penguin's glance darkened: His best friend was just getting on his nerves now. He could not remember a time when he had behaved like this before. But suddenly it crossed his mind, as they still had been children something like this had indeed happened.  
The addressed one wanted to repeat something as someone from behind approached him, "What is the matter here?"  
Startled Penguin stopped to knock against the door and turned around, "Man, you've made me jump."  
You could clearly hear the relief in his voice. Warily one of Law's brows went up.  
Had he really scared him so much? He had only intended to call the other's attention to himself, after all he did not know Penguin being so jumpy.  
"This was not my intention. But tell me now what you're doing here making such a noise." Law put his free hand inside his pants pocket.  
Penguin remained silent and looked aside. He did not want to broach what exactly had been just the topic between him and Shachi. After all Law did not know that Shachi knew about their affair. And if this would change, he sure had not reacted with applause to it.  
Therefore the older answered just barely, "I'm sorry. Shachi is drunk and is in a bad mood once again. He had locked me out."  
That Shachi every now and again was in a bad mood after such evenings, because he had no triumph in the womankind, even Law did not miss it. However he noticed immediately that something was not right with his opposite. Meanwhile he knew him very well so he could form an opinion about it. There was something more behind it all.  
And against his own nature something like this was usually no matter at all to him he asked: "It sounded like you had a fight, or am I wrong?"  
Being surprised about it but at the same time happy too that his captain was apparently worrying about him, Penguin raised his head and beamed directly into his eyes.  
"Yes a little," a resigning sigh was hearable from the older.  
Law pressed on it further, "What were you arguing about?"  
It was hardly the case that Penguin and Shachi had such disputes. Normally they were inseparable like brothers and you could hardly see the one without the other. his situation appeared accordingly disconcerting.  
The older dropped his gaze so that the screen of his hat hid his eyes.  
"Irrelevant. If I had looked after him better then now he wouldn't be so drunk."  
"You are not his nanny. How often do I have to tell you this actually?" Law did not know how relevant the argument's reason in reality was to him.  
Briefly Penguin smiled mockingly and then eyed him slightly from under his headgear, "He is still like a little brother to me. And you keep an eye on your little siblings after all."  
That he mentally gave Law a clip he could not know. Just as little the doctor carried it off well. No one here knew something about his past. And that should stay like this.  
"When it's like that…" Surprisingly he put on his obvious glance where he eyed him lecherous before he turned around to go back to his cabin.  
"Are you for real now?" the other still asked as it irritated him that Law just now had eyed him like this.  
"You can also stay there and wait there until he has calmed down," exclaimed the younger in a moderate tune over his shoulder before he disappeared around the corner.  
Penguin quarreled with himself. He checked the door of his cabin once again.  
"Actually I'm in no real mood for having sex now. But till Shachi calms down it sure will take a while," crossed his mind, "and Law's glance just now again…"  
He had to admire that his captain could easily wrap him around his little finger with this. This look on his face appeared to such an extent seductive to him that he could not resist.  
"Damn, I can't do anything else anymore." Mentally getting angry that he was to weak once more to resist the temptation, he looked up ahead and followed Law.

* * *

He was by now back in his cabin, had put his sword back to its usual place and disposed of his shoes anew. For a moment he thought if it had been right to have given Penguin once again this wordless invitation. Not because he had unconsciously just seconds ago reminded him of his childhood's tragedy - they were anyway permanent in his head present. But rather because he had the feeling using Penguin's situation, instead of letting him clear up his conflict with Shachi or even to try to arbitrate it himself as their captain.  
Nevertheless hardly that he had looked in the dark eyes of the other, inside him had again aroused the awful urge with which he had already struggled the whole evening and that he could have had only quieten while reading. But now where the man of his desire was back and furthermore stood locked out before his own cabin, Law's interior screamed downright to make use of this opportunity. And just this he did now as he heard how Penguin behind him entered his cabin and closed the door.  
Jerky he turned around, pulled within seconds his sweater over his head, threw it carelessly on the single chair in the room's corner and bypassed also quickly the distance between them. Suddenly he pushed Penguin with his own body against the door, pulled his hat off to let it fall to the ground and pressed his lips yearningly onto the others.  
His counterpart looked at him taken by surprise. That was not what he had expected. In fact Law was not anymore wary about having sex with him, when they had gone here, but he had never seen him like this before.  
Gently but also decisively he pushed him slightly away by grasping him at his upper arms, "What's wrong with you? Are you drunken too?"  
Penguin was a bit distrustful.  
But Law smirked, "No, compared with you I'm totally sober."  
He had distinctly tasted the rum flavour on Penguin's lips.  
A panting followed by the other mixed with a grin, "Maybe I've had a few, but not so much to not notice how direct you're being."  
Yes, Law knew himself that he had never come at him like this yet but always had let him make the first step. Generally he was nobody who acted that effusively. Today he was not able to do it another way though. He just wanted to sleep with him more than anything else, simply to give himself to Penguin and just to forget for a little while about everything: His past and those things which were possibly waiting for him in the future. He just wanted to enjoy the here and now. Meanwhile he had realized that he could not only satisfy his sexual lust but that he could also escape from his own thoughts at the same time. That this was actually one of the main reasons due to which Penguin had begun to make it with him at all, he did not know. And conversely the other did not suspect that this was now also in Law's mind. Both assumed that the other one got himself into it only because of lust.  
Anyhow that Law was showing this so unfamiliarly now, amazed and aroused the older at once. He was not sure if he liked it. Of course he had intended to make Law showing more emotions, but not only such like that. Anyhow he had obviously freed him from his unease concerning the affair between them. By now Law was really relaxed at doing it and did not even feel pain any more. Maybe this also just testified his perfect self-control, which he otherwise wanted to see less, as it finally stopped him from showing any other emotions too.  
Anyhow was he really rid of his doubts? Penguin had occurred by now that they were always doing it inside his cabin behind the locked door. Whereas he had just witnessed a few hours ago that he was much less careful with Shachi and had even sex in the treatment room.  
"Is it my fault? Is he ashamed of me?" the older considered not for the first time.  
He was so deep in thought that Law brought him back with a grumpy face, "If you don't want to do it, why have you followed me then?"  
First confused but then smirking he responded, "I've been just a bit surprised. That's all."  
This time he was the one who forced the doctor into a kiss. At that he laid his hand on Law's naked back and pressed him closer to himself, whereat he could feel a part of the scarf under his fingertips - That scarf he and everyone else of the crew knew about for ages, as he could not hide it when he undressed in the bathroom to take a shower. But nobody was allowed to talk with him about it. If you did so, he used to react even more dismissing than in any other situation. Penguin had already accepted this. Nevertheless something else came to his mind while touching the unevenness with his fingers: Without comment Law had fought off every try of having sex in another posture. It was as if he was emphatic about being able to see and control him, Penguin, while doing it. Of course he was not going to hustle him into changing it, but for the older it just gave proof of the poor trust he had towards him and everybody else on board.  
But anyhow even if it was his own desire that made Penguin more and more longing for sex with his captain, he still wished to get through to him. At least he was aware of the fact that Law unwinded and enjoyed it every time, like he had hoped. He had even noticed that the other had seemed like he had had a better sleep when he had seen him on the following day after their last common nights. Perhaps because he felt pretty quickly asleep afterwards and did not stay up all night like otherwise. Although Penguin could only guess this, since he still left Law immediately alone at his prompt after it, it made him a little happy.  
Knowing this all his doubts, about doing this here anew, were gone. Almost automatically he locked the door without looking at it, before he turned around within the more intimate becoming kiss and pushed Law energetically against the wall. He seized the surgeon's hands, which had just opened his overall, and pressed them with his left hand above his head against the wooden panel. Since meanwhile he had found out something else about him: Law liked it if he handled him more passionately and was a bit rougher. Although this was complete contrast to the fact that he always wanted to retain the eye contact. But Penguin did not mind. Yet he also really enjoyed it how they almost entirely threw over their actual role allocation inside these four walls and he was the one having the whip hand.  
Law panted into the kiss as the older pinched his left nipple with his right hand.  
Penguin loosened the contact of their lips and grinned anew, "You like this, don't you?"  
"You know that I do," was the response with a dirty smirk.  
Indeed, the older knew that as well as he had found out what Law digged also.  
"Oh yeah, I know." For a second he pretend to kiss him again, but then he moved his head back.  
As a result Law protested, as he had already looked forward to the next arousing tongue kiss, "You don't know what you want, don't you?"  
"I do," Penguin looked greedy at him and place his tongue at his neck to lick it upwards to his ear where he whispered, "and how I do very well know what I want!"  
"So, what do you want?" Law smirked once more as he already guessed what was coming next.  
Penguin laid his free hand at the side of his neck and stroke with the thumb down his larynx. "You. Naked. On the bed. Underneath me."  
The way he moaned this into his ear made the younger shiver pleasantly. A further fact Penguin knew meanwhile: Law was incredibly turned on if he told him such things. Until that one night, when something like that had come out of his mouth for the first time, he had never imagined that these words would appeal so heavily to his counterpart. But likewise they also affected him so that he could feel first motions at his crotch, of which he had also directly to advise Law by pressing his lower body towards the younger. Again a sound of lust of Law.  
"What else?" he wanted to know.  
The older grinned next to his ear, at which he was just nibbling, "I prefer showing it to you."  
"Tell me!" the doctor claimed decisively whereupon his opposite pulled his head back and gazed piercingly into the blue eyes, in which he could see obvious, growing excitement.  
Penguin did not look back less focused and licked his lips briefly, "If you are so much interested in it: I want to see you sweaty and groaning under me, winding and begging for more while I'm having it off with you."  
With these words another enormous wave of arousal overtook both.  
"Fuck, yes," Law gasped before he wrenched his hands from Penguin's clutch, grasped him at his collar and pulled him in turn into his kiss, which the older returned just too pleased.  
By now both had disappeared unconsciously to their own world - A world wherein only this hot game, which they were just starting to play anew, existed and where was no space for anything or anyone else.

At the same time Shachi had calmed down slightly. He laid on the back on his bed and peered at the ceiling.  
Although he could feel his buzzed condition himself it was not so intensive that he was not able to think clearly. Therefore countless thoughts, which were solely about his captain and his best friend, were crossing his mind now.  
He had not missed that Law had come out of his cabin after he had slammed the door regardless behind himself, because he had angrily leaned against it with his back the whole time. And even if he had again not understood any of the calm spoken words through the thick steel, he knew why it was now quite outside. Barely after the dull voices outside had been gone, he had heard how Law had walked away first followed by Penguin. And when he had unlocked the door and risked checking what was going on, there had been not a soul on the corridor.  
He knew where Penguin was at the moment. The mere thought of it caused him a stomachache - The thought of the fact that it was not him who was now with his captain. And this even though he actually hated the sex with Law.  
His best friend, with whom the had had sex last time a long time ago and with whom he truly did not want to have it any more as it had finally only come to it through Penguin's pity, had always been really gentle, whereas their leader was never like this. He was imperious and dominant and took what he wanted. Shachi did not like it. Nevertheless he endured it and every pain, which it caused, instead of complaining or even stopping himself getting into it. It was not like Law forced him to do it. But he did not want to put him off by saying him that he did not like it. Because at least this way he could be closer to this man than anyone else - except Penguin.  
Actually he tried really hard to fight off his jealousy towards his best friend. But he was marginally successful. Too much he wanted to call Law his own.  
Penguin had no clue of what was going on inside of him, just as little as Law. Both did not suspect the feelings that Shachi conceived towards their captain. And the young man did not intend to declare this in the foreseeable future. Because he knew that his feelings were not reciprocated. And there was something else too.  
Everytime Penguin had come back into their cabin at the middle of the night, after he had probably been with Law, Shachi had already laid in his bed. But each time he had been still awake and had secretly observed him with one eye. And he had always noticed that Penguin's facial expression seemed more depressed than the time before. Therefore he had got the feeling that his friend did not feel less intensive for their captain and did regret just to be also seen as an object of sexual desire by his captain. And he did not want to hurt him anymore by telling him that he was feeling the same.  
"At least he is doing it with you in HIS cabin," the younger ranted silently.  
He had never come so close to Law there. The treatment room, a storage room or, if the had anchored, also even a dark back alley had to be enough.  
With a bitterly expression in his face Shachi turned, only wearing the half of his jumpsuit, aside and peered at the abandoned bed on the opposite.


	7. My Victor is your Defeat

_Hey~ ^_^/_

_Before we start with this chapter, we want to thank everyone who has read the story so far - especially those who have written a review.  
We're really happy to read that you like this fanfic and the pairing Penguin x Law. Hopefully it will stay like this and you'll enjoy all upcoming chapters, too. x3  
_

_Thank you so much. _

* * *

**Chapter VII - My Victory is your Defeat**

Despite his rumination and confused thoughts, Shachi fell asleep at some point. He only woke up when the cabin's door snapped shut silently but audibly and squinted in the pale light of his bedside lamp, which lightened the room softly. Finally he directed his attention to the door. Of course it had been Penguin who just had sneaked in. He did not only observe him secretly as usual. Still the fury and unsettling feelings raged too heavily inside him. The sleep had not changed anything about this either. He lifted his upper body a bit and glanced across at his friend. When he turned around, he realized that he had obviously woken him up.  
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you," he apologized tiredly.  
"Of course not," the younger growled.  
Penguin sighed annoyed while he went, only half-dressed with his overall, over to his bed, "Are you still so grabby?"  
He let himself fall down on the blanket and began to put of his boots, which shoelaces he had not even done up, as Shachi also noticed. A clear proof of that he just had put them back on a little while ago, which did not surprise the redhaired one. Lastly he knew where his friend had been and what he only just had done.  
He looked sharply over his counterpart, "How should I feel if I see my best friend so tired and sorrowful?"  
The older stared back at him, after he had put his shoes next to his bed, "What?"  
Now he did not understand anything at all anymore: Had Shachis mood not been of complete other origin one hour ago?  
"Do you think I don't see how you feel?" Shachi sat up crosslegged, whereat he pressed his hands energetically on his feet, before he continued speaking emphatically, "I know you for fourteen years now, Peng! I know how you look if something is depressing you and if you are sad! And I know very well why this is the case!"  
Penguin, who had just gasped at his grey top's seam to put it off, gazed at him frozen. It was true that he felt bad. And this although he just had shared the bed with their captain once more. But exactly this was the reason: It was in the past again. Like every time after sex, he had, if only half this time, dressed again and had gone. Meanwhile Law even did not need to ask him to do so any longer. He was aware of the fact that the doctor wanted to be alone. Every time when he left him, it hurt the older though. Because although he did not show it always overly, it was obvious that the captain was about to turn himself in his own thoughts. Penguin wished he would not send him away. Too much he felt the urge to enfold him in his arms and to hold him. He wanted to show him that he was not alone, no matter what was going on inside him. But probably a long time would pass by until this was going to happen - if it ever happened.  
Anyhow now it baffled the blackhaired enormously that Shachi had noticed his mood. Did his expression reflect it so much? He had not been aware of this.  
"I'm just tired," he put it off nevertheless and doffed his shirt, which he threw over the bed's footboard.  
A scornful snort from the other was everything that came back as a reply before Penguin could watch Shachi moving his feet out of his bed and grabbing at his shoes.  
He darted a doubtful glance at him, "Where are you heading?"  
But the other did not answer and stuck the ends of his shoelaces in the bootleg as he was too lazy now to cord them properly.  
The older raised one brow and eyed him still sceptically, "If you're going to get a sniff, it's a good idea. You're really out of temper today."  
But this was not what Shachi was thinking of. He blustered inside: Neither because he had not succeeded with women anew nor because he was still jealous of Penguin, but just because Law enraged him so immensely right now. No matter how much he felt attracted by his captain, he could not witness how he played with the feelings of other people any longer. Not with those of the women and especially not with the feelings of his best friend – his brother. He did not pay any attention to his own hurt heart at the moment. His groggy condition incited his anger too much.  
With a for him odd scowl he stood up quickly and went decisively over to the door, which he tore open.  
"I'll give him hell!" With these words he rushed out the room and along the corridor.  
Penguin looked after him confused. And his sleepy head needed some time until he realized what his obviously still drunk friend was going to do now. Like a scalded cat he jumped up too and run after him barefooted and only half dressed.  
"SHACHI, YOU FOOL! STOP IT!" But his shout just resounded in vain through the almost empty submarine.  
It was too late. He could already hear the younger pushing open the door of the captain's cabin loudly.

With an emotionless expression Law was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had just slipped his pants on and wanted to put on his shoes anew to go to the bath to have a shower. Actually he was tired, like meanwhile always after having sex with Penguin, but since he had come on his own stomach again, he really wanted to wash himself. Not that he had not wiped it away with a tissue as always, but to him this was not enough. Did he possibly hope that he could wash away what he liked so much? His, in his eyes still abject fondness? Probably he did subliminally. And this despite the fact that he had slept so often with Penguin by now.  
But nevertheless there was a part inside him that did not want to accept this and constantly told him, he would show weakness by doing this. Anyhow he could not stop it. It simply felt too good - too relieving.  
He was riven inside. The less he still wanted it on the one side, the more he longed for it on the other side. And the more often he did it with Penguin, the stronger this side became. Preferably this side even just wanted to hold the older up from leaving and to ask him to stay. But right that moment his refusing part had come out on top and had let him go. Now he would spend once more a night on his own, alone with his fears and nightmares. Since the ease and the insouciance, which Penguin afforded him, left always with him. At least sometimes he had been lucky yet that having sex had exhausted him so much that he had been even too tired to dream anything at all. But unfortunately this was not always the case - probably tonight neither.  
He had just stood up when the cabin's door flew open with a bang and he gazed a bit alarmed towards it.  
"Captain, that's enough!" It was Shachi, who stood wrathfully in the doorway and snarled at him.  
Law's expression was visibly surprised: He had never seen him like this before. Hitherto he had even never thought that the younger was able to fall into a rage this heavily.  
"He is really dead drunk," the doctor explained his behaviour to himself.  
Furiously the red-haired walked towards him, "I won't stand back any longer while you're trampling on other's feelings and hurting them!"  
The older grew stiff: Was he speaking about himself? Did Shachi not tolerate any more what he always did to him?  
But the other continued unexpected, "What you are doing to the women is bad enough! But… I won't allow you to hurt Peng any more!"  
While speaking Shachi had to take a breathing space, which showed his intoxication.  
The doctor's expression got darker now, "Could you tell me what you're talking about?"  
"I'm talking about how rotten you're to him after you…" But Shachi could not speak on.  
Penguin had rushed into the room, grasped him from behind under his arms and pressed one hand on his mouth. "Stop talking crap, Shachi! You're talking yourself into trouble!"  
Again his friend protested and pulled the hand from his mouth, "Well, so what! He can't deal with you like this! That's not what you deserve!"  
"Shut up!" Penguin shouted at him angrily but obviously also in panic, knowing very well what was looming beyond Law's fierce mien.  
And this mien became increasingly broody and threatening. Because aside from the fact that Shachi had simply infringed his cabin, his private sphere, Law had now picked out one thing for sure: He knew about him and Penguin. And this did not please him - not at all!  
That he had gone too far, Shachi now realized at this sight in spite of his blood alcohol level, too.  
Since everyone on board knew this evil and dangerous aura very well. He got chalk-white and felt suddenly more than sober again.  
"Damn, what have I done?" crossed his mind.  
Actually he was not the type that did such actions. Had the alcohol controlled him so intensely? Had it made him losing his patience and facing down his captain? Him, who otherwise tended more to tears than to uncontrolled blowups? Panic crawled up inside the youngest.  
And also his older friend, who was still holding him, was not visibly anxious. Nevertheless he managed within seconds to push Shachi back out of the room, throw a panicky "Get the fuck out of here!" to him, slam the door and lock it from inside.  
"That won't help him!" he heard Law's angry voice from behind him, "ROOM!"  
Penguin spinned around, hurried up to his captain and grabbed without hesitation his outstretched arm at his wrist, while the cabin and probably the whole ship got under his control.  
"No!" he tried to stop him and restrained him from turning his hand for a "Shambles". "Please, Law… Captain… That'll be on my head."  
But Law's face remained unchanged, "Too late. He knows it."  
"That's my fault! Only mine!" his opposite lied and tightened his grip at Law's arm, "You can do to me whatever you want. Cut me into the smallest pieces and throw them overboard. But don't hurt him!"  
Although Law had never done something like this before, Penguin had never feared his captain's reaction like this. But now he wanted to rescue Shachi from suffering the consequences for all this at all costs.  
"I don't care who's fault it is," Law spitted, "I won't allow that anyone else will also come to know about it."  
He did not intend to do Shachi a real mischief, but he wanted to teach him a lesson to intimidate that much that he would never waste any words on it.  
"This will not happen!" Penguin's now piercing glance came unexpected. "Shachi doesn't spread such things around. You can trust him!"  
The older had not reflected about the last words. But combined with his expression they dazed his counterpart surprisingly. Once more that one word, which knocked Law out of his stride, had been mentioned. His "Room" disappeared. Motionless he gazed at the other. Penguin kept the look in his eyes up, but took a little breath inside. He could feel how Law's arm became heavier in his hand, as he obviously did not hold it up by his own effort. Therefore he released it slowly.  
"Trust," Law turned his shoulder on him, "don't make me laugh! Finally you told him about it too. And this although you had promised to keep it to yourself."  
Penguin noticed the furious, but also disappointed undertone in Law's voice, he spoke calmly without shouting though. Fortunately he was not a hysterical person. But nevertheless the older guessed that he had made a big mistake and destroyed every glimmer of trust, if there had ever existed one.  
"He," Penguin halted slightly as he knew that he had just purported that it was his fault, "followed us a few days ago and spied on us."  
Immediately Law's slightly milder becoming expression got anew darker and he flashed at him out from the corner of his eye, "Haven't you just now said that it was your fault? Why do you always come to his defence? Even if he is like a little brother to you! He is twenty-two years old and therefore old enough to take responsibility for what he does. You don't have to take the blame for him!"  
Speechless Penguin behold him, before he looked aside, "I know that I care too much about him. But this is just who I am. I always want to protect those who are important to me - also from their own stupidity."  
"And for this you would even let me cut you into pieces?" the other snarled.  
The older looked back decisively, "Yes!"  
Law sighed, lowered his head and laid his the fingers of his right hand at his forehead, "I don't have to understand this."  
"As if it was that hard to comprehend," his counterpart mumbled.  
But Law did not dwell on it and looked up again, against the wall towards him though, "Does he also know how we do it?"  
"No. He thinks I'm passive," Penguin paused once more at speaking, "just like he is."  
Law cringed inside, "So you know also that he and I…"  
"Of course," the older cut him short harshly, "since in this case you don't take much care to keep it on the low. Otherwise you would not fuck him in the treatment room. And gradually I wonder if it's up to me and if you're ashamed of me."  
Unexpectedly fast Law faced him and replied quickly, "Bullshit!"  
"So you're still struggling with yourself inside?" Penguin regretted that he just had to realize this as he had really hoped Law would not have any more doubts.  
"What were you thinking? I am still the captain. Nobody would take me seriously anymore if anyone of the others would get wind of how I let you…," Law did not finish this part of the sentence, because he could not.  
But it was clear what he had intended to say.  
"I've told you one-hundred times that I won't tell anybody. Yeah, Shachi found it out that we have sex. But I even won't tell him how we talk and treat each other then. Not for all the money in the world this will come over my lips, because THIS generally has nothing to do with anyone apart from us. Yet I can't do more than promise this again and again and also tell you that you finally should stop thinking anyone wouldn't take you seriously anymore or even despise you! This is just idiocy!" Vigorously and also a bit upset these words left Penguin's mouth with the result that Law now looked glimly down. "Just trust me if I say that it is like this and that you don't have to worry about it!"  
This calm sounding extension made Law's mien even more convulsing.  
"Stop it with your stupid trust!" he hissed, "Trust makes you vulnerable. Therefore it's idiotic to trust in others."  
Abruptly Penguin's expression seemed enraged. These words put him in an unbelievable sad mood.  
Law walked around the bed's end over to his desk, whereat the other now could see the scar on his back again. What was said and this view brought painfully to his mind that someone had extremely broken the doctor's trust in the past, so that he was talking like that now. Also he got once more the impression that Law felt alone.  
"Truly there are much more scars inside him than only the one on his back," Penguin considered silently and began to doubt if he would ever be able to make the younger trusting in others or at least in him. But still he did not want to surrender - not yet.  
Law made clear though that he had backpedaled a long way at his purpose, when he now shut his logbook unquietly and turned at him, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that Shachi knows it? Or did he just tell you?"  
Penguin eyed his captain across the bed, truly aware that Law felt vindicated anew to assume trust to be bad.  
"No, I'm aware of it for some days now," he admitted, "but I wanted to avoid that you don't want to do it anymore."  
Unintentionally he aroused the others anger again, "Aha? Because you think it's hot to nail your own captain?"  
But to Law's loud voice, Penguin now also reacted with an upset and forcefully one again, "No, damn it! Forget that shit of being the captain! I give a shit in this case!"  
"Why then?" was the angry answer, which came from the other side of the room.  
Again Penguin hesitated before he finally revealed his true motivations for the first time, "Because of the same reason that I already told you when we did it the second time. Yeah, sure it satisfies me, too, when we have sex. Especially since we're having it off a bit rougher. I doesn't only make you hot. But even if this was the case, I would still sleep with you, precisely because I had the feeling that it does you good and makes you relax, even though only for a short time. Everybody here onboard knows that there is far too much going on inside your head and stresses you. But also everybody knows that you don't want to talk about it. I haven't implicitly hoped that I could change anything about this. However if I can make you feel better at least a little bit, I would do almost everything for it! This was the main reason. I want everybody on this ship to feel good. So also you."  
Once more a lot of things began to tumble inside of Law. He had not guessed that the other really had always thought of his well-being, but had only acted based on his own lust.  
Nevertheless he remained stubborn and looked away. "I'm fine. Better care about Shachi. He needs you more than I do."  
"Yeah, of course you're fine," Penguin looked away too and panted a little bit sardonically, "but everything that Shachi needs right now is a cold shower."  
He had understood that Law was still refusing any help and asked him indirectly anew to leave him alone. But he did not suspect that his captain regretted once more how he used to treat the younger and only used him to compensate for his own doubts and feelings of weakness.  
"Does he know that I'm relaxing at it?" Penguin looked up surprised when he asked him this question, which confirmed that he had been right.  
"No. I already said, I don't talk about what happens or happened between us." Now he smiled slightly, but kept his thoughts to himself, "So he realized himself that it does him good."  
"I just wonder," Law continued monotonously, "as he mentioned that how I treat you was not what you deserve. Sounded like he knew something."  
Law knew that he admitted that to him it was more than simple satisfaction of sexual desire.  
"I think this did not apply to you," Penguin explained soberly, "he just owes me some things which I did for him when we were kids."  
Now the surgeon, who had to confess that he only knew less about their past, had to smirk, "So you've always been the big, strong brother who protected him, weren't you?"  
Penguin laughed shortly, "Yes. Too right!"  
Right that moment Law ascertained something else while looking at the other: Although both were facing each other half-naked the whole time he did not feel the need to sleep with the other now. He enjoyed his presence though. It had a calming effect to him. Why? He did not know at all what was going on inside the other's mind. Where had his suspicion and distrust suddenly gone? Why did he now want the other to stay and felt uncomfortable at once when he turned to go?  
"It's late. I'm sorry that we kept you from sleeping. If it's okay, let's talk about the consequences tomorrow as soon as Shachi is sober again." Penguin watched him, waiting for Law's consent.  
But it did not come.  
Instead he asked anew an unexpected question, "He also said, I had hurt you. Is this true?"  
Now the older was a bit embarrassed but kept up the eye contact, "No."  
"Why than did he say this?" Law looked at him confused.  
He really could not explain to himself how he should have cause any harm to Penguin. Or was it only because Shachi thought that he treated him the same at having sex? Once more Law felt guilty.  
But Penguin clarified it after a brief hesitation, "He knew that I have been with you earlier. And he saw me coming back depressed. At least it looked like this to him. Indeed I felt like this slightly because I always think I'm leaving you alone with your thoughts and sorrows, as if I was only focused on my own fun. Every time, when I leave you here, I feel bad about it. I always thought, that… you might feel better if I stayed. But meanwhile I've understood that this is nonsense."  
Law's eyes widened with every sentence that the other spoke. This was exactly what he had always felt and what he did now even stronger: He longed for more of Penguin's closeness but only this at having sex. But he had always send him away and later let him go of his own accord. He was used to sleep alone behind the locked, thick steel door. So he was not attackable directly while he was asleep. And his distrust had simply grown too big as if he had ever followed the deep, inner wish of not being alone. Preferably he had always addict himself to his restless thoughts and dark memories, than the foreign feeling of not being alone. Because, that was what Law suggested, as long as he was locked in here alone, he was safe. But the massive door could not stop his nightmares and fears to get through to him. Anyhow would it change if he was not alone? Hard to imagine.  
On the other hand he still felt the more and more growing stronger wish that the other would stay with him tonight, since his presence affected him anew incredibly becalming. And this even though he did not do anything special. He just stood there in some distance, eyed him a bit disappointed but finally still self-confident and radiated, probably unwitting, a enormous calmness - a calmness which Law wished inside himself too. Because although he pretended to be that calm, his inside was, like also Penguin and the rest of the crew obviously knew, a big pile of emotional chaos - a spiral of negative thoughts, which dragged him under most of all at night, wherefore he also liked to stay awake desperately, to escape at least from his frightening dreams.  
"As already said: It was bullshit. So just forget it." Once more Penguin turned more towards the door.  
But Law stopped him anew, "Maybe... it's better if you let Shachi alone for a while."  
Confused the other turned back at him again and observed Law as he opened his jeans and put them off, before he folded them in half and hung it over his desk chair.  
Penguin eyed him sceptically as he could not explain himself what was the point of this reaction. "He will think that you've seriously chopped me up if I don't come back soon."  
Now it was Law who laughed slightly mockingly, "It's alright if he thinks it tonight. 'Cause it doesn't matter if he knows about us or not, in any case he has barged in my room and as you know I really dislike this. So a little punishment must be."  
Again Penguin had to laugh shortly. Yes, he knew like every other crew member that their captain really disliked if someone came into his cabin without knocking. More than reasonable towards the older one, because regardless of whether it was due to the fact that Law wanted to keep his emotions and thoughts to himself, he was also entitled to have his privacy. It also annoyed Penguin from time to time when some of his fellows barged into his and Shachis cabin without knocking. However some of them simply had this bad habit, although Shachi actually had not.  
"That's true," Penguin smiled, "nevertheless I want to sleep."  
"Then do it," it came tonelessly from Law, "here."  
The smile disappeared and an expression of speechlessness became visible in the older's face: Was he kidding or did Law really offer him to stay?  
"What?" the younger replied at facing the other's motionlessness, "You wanted to stay. Or did I mishear it?"  
"No," it came first incredulously from Penguin before he recollected, "I mean yeah, I always wanted to stay. But not for my sake. I don't want that you feel even more uncomfortable just because I'm here."  
Law went over to the bed and opened the thin blanket, which looked still messy as a result of their previous activity.  
"I don't mind." Anew this was not the entire truth, he knew himself and did not face the other again.  
Penguin could imagine, too, that he definitely did care, as his captain was generally no person of casualness. But that he did not send him away now, meant particularly one thing: Law did not want to get rid of him implicitly. If he had really intended this, he would have been able to do it. Therefore there must have been something inside him that wanted to have him here - even without sex. Happiness increased within the older. Had he maybe a chance to get even closer to Law? Would he allow it sooner or later?  
But Law remained sober as usual when he sat down on the right side of the bed and glanced at him, "But stay on your side and don't even think about coming close."  
Penguin smirked, "Got it."  
Of course he had prefered to give him more affinity, but probably he should not rush it. That he allowed his presence at night now for the first time, was much more than the older had expected this evening - than he had expected anyway.  
"Oh and let the door locked," the doctor said quietly, while he grasped at the blanket.  
Penguin walked towards the bed, "Sure."  
He had not even thought of unlocking it. He knew that Law locked it every night. And this was also what they always did when they had sex. So it was beyond dispute to change anything about it, besides he was alright with everything that made the surgeon feel well.  
He stopped directly in front of the bed, "Shall I get my blanket?"  
"Why?" Law shook it once so it fell completely over the bed and his legs, "This here is big enough."  
Indeed, it was. Actually much too big for one person, was what you could think. But Law was the captain. He called a cabin, which was also bigger than all the others, his own and besides he had also a bigger bed than the crew members. And this was due to him in his position, the older thought. Anyhow he obviously did not have to care if it would be a problem to share the blanket without any body contact.  
After Penguin had took off his jumpsuit, he sat entirely on the soft mattress, too.  
"But don't you dare to pull it away from me!" Law addressed him once more with serious words and glanced grimly at him.  
He grinned, "I'm not tired of life."  
"Compared to Shachi," the other quipped surprisingly.  
"I'm really sorry that this could happen, Law." As if it was normal meanwhile, both did not notice that Penguin called him anew by his name rather than by his title.  
"Stop it", the younger moaned, "I've already told you, you shall not blame yourself for his mistakes."  
"I know", the older yawned and let himself fall back onto the pillow whereat Law viewed him, "but I've never witnessed him like this before."  
"And I already thought, I had missed it. But if even you don't know him like this," Law's eyes looked through the room.  
"No. I'm going to talk to him tomorrow. I simply can't imagine that it was only the alcohol that cause such a heavy reaction." Penguin closed his eyes and turned on his right and therefore towards Law.  
He did not notice how he grew stiff as again it went through his mind how he treated Shachi sometimes and especially while they had sex.  
After a while of silence anew he heard a yawn from the left, "Whatever you're thinking about, stop it and try to sleep!"  
Surprised he looked back at Penguin, who's eyes were still closed but who had probably perceived that Law had not laid down yet and was sitting next to him. Although he hated orders and advices of others, he did not mind at all the way his counterpart was talking to him.  
Now the older ogled him with one eye and smirked, "Or shall I repeat the thing we just have done, so you can't do anything but sleep?"  
Law knew what he was talking about: They really had not had it off softly tonight and he had been pretty exhausted afterwards. And this tiredness gripped him still to the morrow, which was why he had also discarded the idea of having a shower yet.  
"Not necessary." Law laid down on his back, smirked a bit though.  
"Good", Penguin closed his lid anew, "because I'm actually too tired."  
His voice got more and more quiet while speaking. The younger turned his head in his direction: He already seemed to be asleep.  
"This was fast," he determined.  
He became slightly jealous as he fell never asleep that quickly. He looked him over how he was lying there next to him breathing calmly. The elongated, silvern, tubular earring at the outer edge of his left auricle flashed through some black strands of hair in the yellowish light of the bed lamp on Law's right. He had just got it a few days ago. Probably he had only done it on a whim. But Law considered that it looked good on him. With it Penguin even appeared somehow a bit more appealing to him. No surprise: He did not wear four earrings himself because he did not like them. It was the same situation with his tattoos. And he would have liked to have even more of those. He only wore some on his forearms and hands. But it had not crossed his mind yet where to tattoo next. He lifted his left hand's back in front of his face and looked at it. Most of the other crew members wore this kind of body decoration, too. Probably this was a penchant that they all shared. Law had to smile minimally and glanced at the man besides him. Penguin only had one tattoo. And much to his regret he could not see it right now, since it was on his right scapula, but he had turned his back towards the door. He knew exactly what it looked like though, because he had memorized it yet at those several times that his eyes had inhered his naked body: It was the letter "S" in curved but also jagged and big font. Law did not know what it represented, but he assumed that it applied to Shachi. Even though he had not yet discovered a tattoo at him which remembered of Penguin. But sure he had never eyed him or his tattoos up that closely - neither in the bathroom nor while having sex.  
The doctor pursed his lips. Anew the thoughts, of what he did to the younger to cover his doubts concerning what he did with Penguin, returned. He lowered his hand and eyed the ceiling. Every time, after he had slept with Shachi, remorse overcame him.  
Once more he watched Penguin, who was still sleeping silently next to him, from his eye's corner. The two friends really seemed never to talk about how they made it with him, Law. Otherwise Penguin, who had obviously an immense protective instinct towards the younger, would not lay here so calmly by his side.  
"I have to stop it," crossed Law's mind, while he also remembered Shachi saying that he would just hurt everybody, "I'm sure he spoke about himself, too. And I also harm Penguin and he doesn't know."  
Law continued watching the older for a few more moments with mixed feelings, but without realizing that his presence did not feel strange at all, before he finally fell asleep, too.

Several minutes Shachi had endured in front of Law's cabin, after Penguin had thrown him out, and had not run away, like his friend had told him. Too much he had worried about him. Even though he hardly could ever imagine that their captain would do something seriously to his crew. In the rare case that he had let them make the acquaintance with his devil powers in any way as a punishment, he usually had only done it for a few minutes to teach them a little lesson.  
But just now the surgeon seemed more enraged as ever before. And the redhaired could understand very well how much it seethed inside the other, after all he had clearly heard that he, Shachi, actually should not know anything about the affair between him and Penguin. Moreover he had just gatecrashed into his cabin.  
Therefore he had assumed that Law would really dismember Penguin in little pieces and afterwards start on him. Yet Law's "Room", which had also enwrapped the hallway, was gone again after a few moments. In turns he had still heard both voices coming out more or less loudly from the room. Again no clearly understandable word had run through to him, of course, so that Shachi did not know what they had spoken exactly. Nevertheless this time he had not tried to eavesdrop at the door, but rather he had leaned against the wall opposite the door, unsure if he should wait longer. But sometime it had become really quiet. Either meanwhile they were talking less noisy or, and that was what Shachi assumed, they did not talk anymore at all.  
After a few moments of silence Shachi heard how one of the doors, which led to the deck, was opened. Familiar voices echoed through the corridor and announced the return of several of his friends, who had still been at the bar. The young man pushed himself off the wall. He knew that he would only come under pressure for failing to offer an explanation if he would hang around the captain's cabin any longer and would have been seen like that by them. He glanced again at the door: Still it was silent behind it, while the voices of the other became louder.  
He smiled briefly, whereas he was bit by bit sure inside why he could not hear something from Penguin and Law anymore:  
"Maybe Peng has managed to calm Law down and they have gone to bed."  
The same moment he imagined how they were lying arm in arm in Law's bed. A tear came out of the corner of his eye. Hastily he turned away and walked with fast steps back to his cabin, before also the rest of the tears, which all of a sudden pushed under his eyes, got outside. Shortly after he was around the corner, Tomo and a few others approached him.  
"Oi, Shachi!" But the addressed one did not react.  
He did not even look at them. Instead he just opened the cabin's door hurriedly and disappeared behind it. The wondering glances of the others did not interest him. He was too busy with himself and his feelings, which once again went head over heels inside him. Whole streams ran down his cheeks, while he now leaned from the inside against the door for the second time tonight.  
He had wished that Penguin could stay with Law - for his best friend. He loved him too much to not grant him this. But once again he and not himself was now the one, who was with Law. Still he did not put the blame on Penguin.  
Sobbing he went slowly to his bed, while he had only one thing in mind, "You're powerless against Peng. Accept it, Shachi. No matter what it is about, you'll always be the loser."


End file.
